Thomas and Emily's Relationship
by AaronCottrell97
Summary: See how Thomas first met Emily and become friends with her. As they go through many adventures together and experience many emotional and life changing experiences, their friendship gives birth to deep and powerful love that can never be broken. The love of Thomas and Emily. Prequel to Fortunate Circumstances.
1. A New Friend and New Feelings

It was a splendid day on the Island of Sodor. Thomas was taking Annie and Clarabel back to the yards. On his way to Knapford Station, Thomas met up with his old friend Edward at a level crossing.

"Hello, Edward," whistled Thomas. "How are you today?"

"I'm just fine, thank you, Thomas," replied Edward. "Have you heard the news?"

"News? What news?" asked Thomas.

"Well, I've heard that the Fat Controller has bought a new engine, and it will be arriving today."

Thomas was excited. "A new engine? Today? Wow! I can't wait to see him," he exclaimed. Edward chuckled. "I think you mean, her, Thomas."

"H-Her? But then..." stammered Thomas. "That means the new engine is a girl," announced Annie. "Oh, how delightful!" rejoiced Clarabel. Sodor was home to many engines, but almost everyone of them were male engines. In fact, there were only two female engines on Sodor, and they were Daisy and Mavis, both of whom were diesel engines.

"Is she a steam engine or a diesel?" asked Thomas.

"From what I have heard, she is a steam engine," said Edward, as the crossing gates swung open. "I'm sure she'll make a fine edition to the North Western Railway. Goodbye, Thomas." And Edward puffed away.

Thomas started off again, thinking about the new engine. "_I wonder what she'll be like,_" he thought to himself. The fact that the new engine was female made Thomas even more curious and excited, as he had never met a female steam engine before, at one point he had wondered if he would see one after meeting Mavis and Daisy for the first time.

As he whistled into Knapford, he saw a tender engine that he didn't recognize at the platform. _"That must be her,"_ thought Thomas, and as he came closer, he gasped.

The engine was beautiful. It had shiny emerald green paintwork from boiler to tender, with gold bands around the boiler and gold lining on the tender, a gleaming brass safety valve, chocolate brown running-boards, a tall funnel with a gold ring around it, bronze buffers, very big driving wheels and a face that was distinctively feminine. Thomas had never seen an engine like it before.

The Fat Controller spoke up, "Thomas, meet Emily." Thomas was struggling to come up with words. He was speechless by Emily's beauty. At last he managed to find his words. "H-hello, Emily," he said nervously blushing. Emily smiled at him, which Thomas blush even more. "Hello, Thomas," she said with a beautiful Scottish accent. Thomas thought she sounded like an angel and her smile was absolutely breathtaking.

"_He seems really nice,_" she thought to herself and saw his nervous blush. "_He looks really cute too and almost...handsome in a way._"

"Emily, collect your coaches, you and your driver must learn the line," said the Fat Controller.

"Yes, sir," she answered and with a toot from her whistle, Emily steamed gracefully out of the station. Thomas was impressed but speechless. Emily was by far the most beautiful engine he had ever seen in his entire life. He couldn't take his eyes of her as he watched her puff away. Thomas was so preoccupied watching Emily that his driver had to blow his whistle to get Thomas' attention. "Come on, Thomas," said his driver, "we've got a schedule to keep up."

"Oh, y-yeah, r-right," Thomas stuttered and puffed out of the station. Annie and Clarabel seemed to notice Thomas' rather unusual behavior and began to ponder about it after Thomas had left them in the yard. As Thomas carried on with his other jobs, all he could think about was Emily and her incredible beauty, yet he had no idea why.

Later the only coaches Emily's driver could find were Annie and Clarabel. "These aren't your sort of coaches," he said, "but I suppose they'll do." Annie and Clarabel felt insulted. "How dare he say we'll do!" Clarabel whispered. But they didn't say anything since they knew Emily was new to the railway and had a lot to learn. So they were coupled up behind Emily and very gently she pulled them out of the yard.

Emily puffed carefully along the track with the two coaches behind her. On the way she admired the beautiful Sudrian countryside. "How dare he say we'll do, how dare he say we'll do!" grumbled the coaches. But Emily didn't hear them, she was too busy enjoying herself.

Thomas saw Emily coming down the line pulling Annie and Clarabel. "Hello, Thomas," Emily called. But Thomas was cross. "Those are my coaches," he muttered, "give them back!" Emily didn't hear Thomas and went on her way. _"I wonder why he looked so angry,"_ she thought to herself.

She passed Edward. And then Percy. When Emily whistled 'hello', the engines didn't whistle back. Emily couldn't understand why they were so unfriendly. She was upset. "Why is everyone being so rude to me? I haven't done anything wrong have I?" she asked herself. Annie and Clarabel wanted to speak up but they didn't say anything.

Later the Fat Controller spoke to Thomas. "I want you to go to the Docks to pick up new coaches."

Thomas was horrified. "New coaches?! But, sir!"

"Really useful engines don't argue!" said the Fat Controller.

Thomas didn't want new coaches, he wanted Annie and Clarabel back. He grumbled all the way to the Docks. "How dare she take my coaches, how dare she take my coaches!" he moaned.

"She's new, Thomas," his driver said, "she probably didn't know they belonged to you." Unfortunately that didn't help change Thomas' mood. He didn't think about Emily's beauty now, all he thought about was her stealing Annie and Clarabel for herself and making him get new coaches.

When Oliver saw Emily return to the yard, he was surprised. "Those are Thomas' coaches!"

"So that's why he looked cross!" exclaimed Emily. "I'll go and apologize." and she set of as fast as she could. Now she understood why everyone had been ignoring her. They thought she was thief who had taken Annie and Clarabel without Thomas' permission. "I have to put this right," she said to herself.

Meanwhile, Thomas had collected the new coaches from the Docks. "Don't want new coaches, don't want new coaches!" he chuffed crossly.

Later, Emily was still looking for Thomas when a signalman flagged her down. "Oliver hasn't cleared his signal box," he told Emily's driver. "Please go and see what's wrong." So they set off to find Oliver. "_I hope nothing's wrong,_" she thought to herself.

Emily could see that Oliver had broken down on the crossing. Then Emily heard Thomas' whistle. "Oh dear!" she exclaimed. Thomas could see Oliver and he knew he could never stop in time. "Help!" cried Oliver. Emily knew that if she didn't do something there would be a serious accident. So she charged towards Oliver and with a huge effort, pushed him across the tracks. Just in time, as Thomas shot past them, just barely missing Emily's tender.

"Thanks!" Oliver said gratefully.

"We did it," panted Emily.

Later Emily arrived at Wellsworth Yards. Thomas and Oliver were already there. The Fat Controller was there too. "Well done, you were a very brave engine."

"The bravest!" chuffed Oliver.

"It gives me great pleasure to present you two new coaches."

Emily was delighted. "Thank you, sir!" she replied. Then she spoke to Thomas. "I'm sorry I took Annie and Clarabel."

"And I'm sorry I was so cross," replied Thomas.

"Friends?" she asked hopefully. "Friends," he replied.

Emily smiled, she was delighted to have a new friend in Thomas. Her first day on the island had certainly been an eventful one, but regardless she had a feeling she was going to like working on the North Western Railway.

The rest of the week came and went. Thomas had helped Emily settle in and she was starting to get the hang of things. Thanks to his help the two engines got to learn a bit about each other. Emily returned to the yard ready for a good nights sleep after a long week. She saw Thomas leaving Annie and Clarabel in the coach shed. "Hello, Thomas," she whistled cheerfully.

"Hello, Emily," he replied. "So how did you find your first week on Sodor?" he asked.

"It was great," she said. "I really enjoyed every moment of it and I'm glad to have made a new friend like you."

"Well you're an amazing engine, Emily. I'm really glad you came here."

"So am I," Emily replied. "Good night, Thomas."

"Good night, Emily."

As he watched her puff away, he suddenly started to feel a little funny. He felt a strange sensation in his boiler, it started to bubble in a way that he had never felt before. He found himself unable to come up with any words, and started blushing again, like when he met Emily at Knapford. Once again all he could think about was her and how beautiful she was. It was a strange and unusual feeling but it felt nice and relaxing.

Annie and Clarabel noticed this and came to a conclusion. "I think Thomas might be falling in love," they whispered to each other.

Thomas puffed away to the sheds, all the while, he kept thinking about Emily and the strange new feeling he felt.

"Sweet dreams, Emily..."

* * *

So here is the first chapter I hope you all enjoyed and look forward the next chapter until then rate and review


	2. Sharing Old Memories

In the summer time there is no better place to be than the Island of Sodor. The engines are happy to show holiday makers the wonderful sights to be seen. But this year there was a problem.

Thomas and Emily were at the Steamworks for repairs. But they didn't mind, this meant they could get to know each more. Thomas still had that strange feeling in his boiler whenever he looked at her and he still didn't know why. But regardless he was enjoying his time with Emily.

"Is it always this busy at summer time, Thomas?" Emily asked.

"Yes indeed," Thomas replied. "You wouldn't believe how busy it can get here. Sometimes we barely get anytime to rest our wheels."

Emily chuckled, "Well, I guess it's lucky we both need repairs then, otherwise who knows how tired we would be?" Thomas chuckled as well. "I guess you're right."

They continued chatting for the rest of the day. Emily told him a few stories of when she worked the Great Northern Railway. Then she asked, "How did you first come here, Thomas?"

"Oh, I just came by rail," he said bluntly and then burst out laughing. Emily rolled her eyes. "Should've seen that coming," she said to herself. Eventually he stopped. "Right, same question without the smart answer," she said.

"Oh come on, that was funny," chuckled Thomas. Soon Emily started chuckling as well. "Seriously," she said.

"Well, I use to work at Brighton, on the mainland, and the Fat Controller needed another engine to help out. I had always wanted to come here and when I did I was the smallest engine here and Gordon and James made fun of me for it. Believe it or not I was actually painted green when I came here."

"You were green?" Emily said, she was surprised.

"Yep, but I was painted blue the day after. I much prefer being blue, it's the only colour for a useful engine," he said. Then he realized he might have offended her. "I'm not saying green is a bad colour or anything I'm just saying-" She interrupted him, "Don't worry I'm not offended." Thomas was relived. "Well, if me being green surprised you, you'd be even more surprised to hear that James was painted black."

"Seriously?!" she asked.

"Oh aye and his brake blocks would start burning whenever he stopped."

Emily looked slightly nervous as she turned her attention her brake blocks. "Steel brakes catching fire?" she asked worriedly.

"No, no, no," said Thomas reassuringly, "James' brakes were made of wood, not steel."

Emily was relived and chuckled again. "Wooden brakes?"

"I know. I use to smell them burning all the time," he laughed. He then carried on. "Gordon and James said I would never last long here and that all I was good for was shunting coaches. I made a lot of mistakes on my first day, but at least I had Edward to teach me what to do. He was the first friend I made on Sodor."

"You certainly had it rough then," Emily commented.

"I did," he replied. "But I kept a positive attitude and the next day I was sent to get a new coat of paint. When arrived back at the yards I was so excited to tell Edward I said, "Look Edward look, I'm blue just like you!"

"Aw that's sounds so adorable," said Emily sweetly.

Thomas blushed. "Thanks," he said nervously. There was that strange feeling again. He couldn't understand why he felt so different around her. But even so he still liked it for some reason.

"After that I went to fetch Gordon's express coaches and that was when I met Annie and Clarabel for the first time. I'll never forget that moment..."

* * *

Thomas puffed around the yards looking for Gordon's express coaches. He ran into a siding where two small coaches were resting. As he pulled them away they woke up.

"Oh!" shrieked one of the coaches.

"I say!" shrieked the other, "Where are you taking us?"

"To Gordon. It's time for the express," Thomas replied.

"But we're not the express coaches!" the coaches said together. "I'm Annie and she is Clarabel."

"And the express coaches are on the other sidings," Clarabel stated.

"Oh. I'm terribly sorry, your ladyships. You see I'm new around here," Thomas said as he pushed Annie and Clarabel back into the siding. "I'm Thomas," he whistled cheerfully and puffed into the other sidings.

"Oh, oh, what a sweet little engine," chuckled Annie.

"Indeed Annie. Delightful," Clarabel added.

"He'll go far Clarabel. Just you wait and see."

* * *

"Wow, you met those two on your second day on Sodor? That's incredible that they had so much confidence in you."

Thomas smiled. "I know, they use to be James' coaches and they always use to complain about how rough he was with them."

"That certainly sounds like James," Emily chuckled.

"I soon grew tired of being stuck in the yards, I wanted to get out, I wanted to see to the world, but I kept making silly mistakes, until one day I finally proved myself."

"What happened?" Emily asked.

"Well, I shunting in the yard with Edward, when..." Before Thomas could continue on, the two engines could see the Fat Controller walking towards them. He had come to check on their repairs. He looked annoyed and worried. With two of his engines out of order, there were less engines to manage the passenger services.

"I need to find a way to carry more passengers!" grumbled the Fat Controller. "We have more holidaymakers-"

"And fewer engines," said Emily.

"A double-decker problem," added Thomas.

"Double-decker problem...hmm..." pondered the Fat Controller. "I think I have a solution to our problems..." he said, then he walked back into his car. When he was gone, Emily asked, "What do you think he has in mind?"

"I don't know, but I hope it's good," replied Thomas. "You know, all this double-decker talk has reminded me of something else. Bulgy."

Emily was confused. "Who's Bulgy? Does he have anything to do with that bridge?" she asked.

"He certainly does. Bulgy is a rude, lying double-decker bus. He thinks railways should be ripped up and all passengers should travel by road. He once tried to steal all of our passengers by pretending he was a railway bus. But he quickly got what he deserved," said Thomas.

"What happened?" asked Emily.

"He told everyone that he knew a shortcut to the big station, so he went under a low bridge and he got wedged underneath it. He was eventually moved out from under the bridge and he put a field. The bridge is named after him, and he was turned into a hen-house."

"Oh, now I know who he is. I kept wondering why everyone called it "Bulgy's Bridge" and I kept wondering who that dirty, messy bus in the field was too. In any case, he got what he deserved. I can't stand anybody who's selfish and rude, good riddance," she said, crossly.

Thomas hadn't heard Emily talk about someone in that manner before. She had been cross with him twice for teasing Henry and Salty, and that really showcased the type of engine she was. She looked out for others and made sure that they weren't being mistreated by their peers, and Thomas knew better than anyone what would happen afterwards.

"Well, that was years ago, and I'm sure that after being stuck in a field for so many years has made him have a change of heart," said Thomas.

Repairs continued on through the rest of the day and continued in the morning. The workmen allowed Thomas and Emily a chance to move about for test runs to see if there were problems that still needed to be ironed out. After one of their test runs, Thomas and Emily received quite a surprise.

"Is that? No, it can't be, can it?" gasped Emily.

Driving towards the works was dirty, dusty, moss and straw covered red double-decker bus. There was only one bus that it could be. It was Bulgy, back on the road after many, many years.

"Bulgy!" exclaimed Thomas. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm being repaired. I'm going back on the road!" Bulgy announced excitedly.

"I think you'll be helping the new farmer," said Emily. "He's needs to deliver his vegetables around the island."

"Vegetables? Pah! I'm going to carry passengers," scoffed Bulgy. Workmen soon arrived to take Bulgy to be refitted and cleaned up.

"So Bulgy was the Fat Controller's solution after all. I never thought I'd see him back in service," said Thomas.

"Yes well," frowned Emily, "from you said yesterday, his attitude doesn't seem to have changed since he was stripped of service. This might not has been the Fat Controller's best business strategy. What if tries another stunt like last time?"

"I'm pretty sure Bulgy must have learned some sense after being converted to a hen-house, Emily, and besides someone needs to look after our passengers for us. I'm sure the Fat Controller warned him about making lies and causing confusion. He'd be stupid to think about doing that now that he's finally been given a second chance."

Soon Bulgy was refitted inside and out, he looked smart and shiny, even James was impressed. "Mmm..."

Thomas and Emily watched as Bulgy drove out of the yards. They did admit that Bulgy looked very smart indeed. "There he goes," said Thomas. "Let's hope he makes a better impression this time," said Emily, still doubtful. Just then, Thomas suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Would you like me to finish telling my story?"

This made Emily much more cheerful. "Oh, yes please, Thomas!" she replied. "Well, since you asked so nicely," chuckled Thomas, "I was shunting in the yard with Edward, when..."

* * *

The two blue engines heard a whistle, when suddenly rushing into the yard was James with a goods train. "Help! Help! They're pushing me, they're pushing me!" He cried, his brake blocks were smoking. "On, on, on!" laughed the trucks as they dashed past Thomas and Edward.

"James!" Thomas cried and set of after him. "Thomas! Thomas, come back!" but Thomas didn't. James rushed round a bend and saw a deer near the line. "Oh dear!" he cried. "Help! Help! Help!"

"On, on, faster, faster!" the trucks laughed. "I don't want to go any faster!" James said. But things got even worse. "My brakes! No!" he gasped as his brakes caught fire. "Stop! I want to STOP!" he cried desperately.

Thomas was rushing as fast as he could and eventually he caught up with James. "Oh, Thomas!" cried James. "Use your brakes. Use your brakes!" Thomas shouted. "I can't, my brake blocks are on fire, they're made of wood!" A large burst of fire nearly singed Thomas' face. Then he had an idea. "I'm going to try to couple up behind you, James! I'm going to try to slow you down!" and he reduced speed until the whole train was ahead of him.

"Hurry, Thomas!" James shrieked. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" the silly trucks giggled as they surged on. Whistling bravely Thomas ran over the points onto James' line and raced up to the brakevan. "Couple me up, couple me up! I need to slow James down!" he shouted to the guard. "Eh, right," the guard replied. Thomas went faster and faster until he was close enough to the brakevan so the guard could couple him up. The guard tried to grab Thomas' coupling with his shunter's pole but he couldn't reach. "Oh no! Try again, try again!" Thomas cried. "Right." So the guard tried again but he still couldn't reach Thomas' coupling. "We mustn't give up, we have to try!" shouted Thomas. But then he ran over a branch and fell back. "Faster, faster!" the guard called. Thomas did so, he went faster and faster, refusing to give up. He got closer and closer to the brakevan...

When disaster struck.

James cried despairingly, as he ran around the bend too quickly. Thomas and the guard look up as James shouted, "I'm coming off the rails!" and he toppled off the track, landed on his side and skidded violently into a field. Thomas watched in despair as one by one the trucks came off the line until finally the brakevan did so as well. "James!" He slammed his brakes hard on and screeched to a stop. He gasped as he saw all the damage that had been done. Some of the trucks were torn to pieces. Luckily the guard hadn't been hurt. "Edward was right. Trucks can run an engine right off the rails!" he said as he slowly rolled over to James.

"Oh!" moaned James sadly. "Stay right there, James. I'll go and get help!" Thomas cried and raced away. "Where else can I go," James muttered.

Back at the yard, the Fat Controller was talking to Edward, when Thomas rushed past them. "Was that Thomas?" he asked Edward.

"Wake up, wake up!" Thomas shouted as backed down on to the Brakedown Train. "Emergency!"

"Judy!"

"Jerome?"

"Emergency!" they said together.

"James is off the line. His brakes were on fire!" Thomas informed them. "Right! We're ready!" the two cranes said confidently. "Crew up!" The crew got ready and climbed into the works unit coach. "Let's go!" so Thomas set off towards the accident.

The Fat Controller was surprised. "Thomas! What do think yo-"

"Sorry, Sir, but this is an emergency!" replied Thomas and he raced out of the yards to save James.

At the field a cow was licking James' eye, which he did not like at all. Thomas shunted the unhurt trucks out of the way. "Oh dear, go gently, go gently." they groaned. "I hope this will teach you troublesome trucks a lesson," said Thomas sternly.

"Have you got him at the front there, Judy?"

"Yes, Jerome. Ready to lift."

"Me too. Let's go!" Then the two cranes lifted James into the air. James didn't like it. "Woah!" he wailed. "You're alright, your alright," Jerome called. "We've got you," Judy said.

At last, James was lifted safely onto the track. The Fat Controller had come to make sure everyone was OK. "Well done, Thomas. Now I would like you to take James to the Steamworks. Do you know the way?"

"Yes, sir. I do, sir. It's where I was painted blue." The Fat Controller chuckled. "That's right." So Thomas was coupled up to James and pulled him towards the Steamworks.

That night the other engines were very happy to see Thomas indeed.

"Well done, Thomas," congratulated Edward. "Today you really were the best engine." Even Gordon seemed impressed. "What you did was...terrific," said Henry. "Really useful that's what I'd say, hehehe," The Fat Controller said. "James shall have new brakes, a bit of repair here and there and a new coat of paint, and you, Thomas, due to your unselfish, bravery and heroism, you have shown yourself worthy of having your own branch line!"

Thomas gasped. "My own branch line?!" Edward and Henry were delighted for Thomas. "But, who will fetch our coaches for us, sir? Tender engines aren't meant to shunt," Gordon asked, shuddering near the end. "I don't know, Gordon. Perhaps you'll have to fetch your own until I can get another small engine like Thomas," replied the Fat Controller. Gordon was upset. "But, but!" The other engines just laughed.

A few days later, an engine came into the yard, that Thomas and Edward had never seen before. "Ahem."

"James? Is that really you?" Thomas asked.

"Of course it is. Ahehe, how do you like my new paintwork?" James asked smugly.

"Wow, James, you look splendid!"

"I know. I'm ready for my coaches," he announced smugly.

"We're Thomas' coaches now James," said Annie. "That's right," said Clarabel as Thomas was coupled up to them. "And he's got his very own branch line too!"

"Off to the world now, Thomas?" Edward asked, feeling very happy for his friend.

"Yes, Edward, I am!"

* * *

"And that's how I got my branch line. And I've ran it ever since," Thomas finished. Emily was amazed beyond belief. "Wow! What an amazing story, Thomas, I've never heard someone be so brave. You've really come a long way from being a little green shunter to being No. 1," Emily said admiringly.

"Aw thanks," he said blushing again. He had a feeling he was going to keep blushing every time she gave him a compliment.

For the rest of the day the two engines stayed at the works, telling each other stories and making each other laugh. The next day they were finally back in service and ready to get back to work.

"It feels good to be able to get back to work again," Thomas said.

"It sure does," agreed Emily. "Thanks for a really fun time, Thomas. I really glad we got to learn so much about each other. I feel I can understand better then I did before."

Thomas smiled. "I'm glad to have learned more about you too, Emily. I feel I can understand you even more as well. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun being repaired," he said cheerfully.

"Neither can I," she agreed. "Oh, I wonder how Bulgy did on his first day back in service."

Emily soon received an answer. Bulgy drove into the works, looking very cross and had feathers covering up his windows. His first run with the passengers didn't go according to plan, since Bulgy's hens had snuck back into their old house and slept in the luggage racks, where no one could see them. When Bulgy tried to overtake Trevor the Traction Engine, he had to quickly serve to avoid colliding with a post van, causing the hens to wake up and panic, causing them to flap and squawk and cover the passengers in feathers and broken eggs. The passengers complained to the Fat Controller and the Fat Controller sent Bulgy to be cleaned.

"Silly hens! Silly passengers! You can have them both!" sulked Bulgy crossly.

"Hmm, the farmer still needs help with his vegetables," said Emily.

"A vegetable bus? That's not such a bad idea," said Bulgy, who now thought Emily's idea was a brilliant idea.

"And we're back carrying passengers," smiled Thomas. "You won't have to worry about hens or passengers anymore, eh Bulgy?" Bulgy's smile grew bigger as he drove off to be cleaned up.

"I guess you were right, Thomas. Bulgy has turned over a new leaf after all," said Emily.

"A cabbage or lettuce leaf?" joked Thomas. The two friends shared another laugh together. Their time at the works had really helped make their friendship even stronger.

* * *

**This is me from the future, I updated this chapter dramatically. The result is a million times better than the original! What you think?**


	3. Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough

Winter was coming to the Island of Sodor. The morning ground was covered in crisp, white frost. Thomas and Emily were happily chuffing down the line. Thomas was enjoying pulling Annie and Clarabel. He thought he was doing a grand job.

But Emily had other ideas. She thought he could be doing an even grander job, so Emily decided to "help" Thomas. By telling him what he was doing wrong.

When she saw him puffing down the branch line she cried out, "Slow down, you are going much too fast and bumping your passengers!" This made Thomas cross.

Later Emily saw Thomas by a bridge. He had stopped to take on water and was talking to some children. "Stop talking to the children," said Emily, "You are working and they will make you late."

"I'm never late!" said Thomas huffily. "There's always a first time," said Emily cheerfully and she puffed away.

Thomas was cross. He loved talking to children and thought Emily was being a big bossy buffers. Annie and Clarabel agreed. "I am never going to listen to Emily ever, ever again," said Thomas. "So there."

He puffed away thinking about Emily. She had been acting different lately. When she first came to the island a year ago she was one of the kindest engines here, like when she helped Henry when he had leaky tubes and when she stood up for Salty when Thomas and Percy made fun of him, but recently she had been almost the complete opposite. When she was taking timber to repair Farmer McColl's barn roof after a nasty storm she kept rushing everyone and didn't even apologize or say thank you when Trevor cleared away a log that was blocking her way. Then she was rude to Elizabeth when she was trying to move a water tower that had fallen on her line. Thomas had to tell her to use her manners instead of being a big bossy boiler. She did and she managed to safely deliver the timber but afterwards she started being bossy again. And now she had just been bossing him around.

"_What happened to you, Emily?_" he asked himself. "_You use to be so sweet and kind and caring to others. Now your being mean and bossy,_" he thought sadly. Although he didn't know why it made him feel so sad. He felt that strange sensation in his boiler again, only this time it felt a little painful. _"Why do I keep feeling like this?"_ he thought to himself. _"And why does it hurt this time?"_

Meanwhile Emily was feeling guilty for ordering Thomas around. She knew this wasn't something she would normally do, but she had a reason. She was hiding something from him. A secret that she could tell no one, no matter how much she wanted to..._"If only you knew, Thomas, why I'm doing this,"_ she thought sadly. _"I'm sure you wouldn't forgive me..."_

* * *

The next morning a sleepy Thomas had to leave Tidmouth Sheds bright and early. He was to collect some trucks from the quarry and take them to the docks. Later that morning the Fat Controller arrived with a new weather report. "There is snow on the way, you must all have your snowploughs fitted."

"Excuse me, sir," said Emily, "but Thomas has already left for the quarry."

"Then you must find Thomas and tell him Sir Topham wants him to wear his snowplough!"

So Emily puffed away to get her snowplough fitted. "This is gonna fun," she said to herself. The workmen fitted Emily's snowplough in no time at all and she set off to find Thomas. Emily was very happy. She was looking forward to telling him what to do.

Thomas was taking on water at Maithwaite Station. Emily puffed up in front of him. She blew her whistle, but Thomas didn't say hello. "She just wants to boss me again," grouched Thomas.

"Thomas!" she called. "You must go and get your snowplough fitted!" Thomas could hear what Emily was saying but pretended he couldn't. He thought he was being very clever. So Emily tooted even louder again. "You must go and get your snowplough fitted!" she cried.

"Bother snowploughs," said Thomas. "And bother Emily, anyway, the weather is perfectly fine." and he puffed away as fast as he could. Emily was surprised. She knew she was nagging him but she really only wanted to legitimately help him, she didn't want him to get into any trouble, but he just ignored her and puffed crossly away from her.

Thomas was very annoyed as he made his way along the line. "Why?" he asked. "Why has Emily become so bossy lately? She was never bossy when she first came here so why is she different now?" His driver sighed. "I'm not sure, Thomas. Something probably caused her to change. It can happen to people as well." Thomas just sighed. The Emily he met a year ago wasn't the Emily he knew now. "But why?" was all he could ask.

Thomas delivered the trucks to the quarry, then set of to collect the cream from the dairy. Everything was going well.

But soon the clear blue sky was eaten away by dark clouds. "They look like snow clouds to me," said his driver. And he was right. Soon big flakes of white snow began to fall. Then the snow gathered into drifts and covered the tracks.

"Cinders and ashes!" cried Thomas, as his wheels began to slip.

Snow fell all over the island. Emily cut safely through the drifts with her snowplough. "Thomas will be in trouble now."

Emily was right. Thomas was working harder and harder, but he had to go more and more slowly. "We can't go on," said his driver. Thomas pulled to sad, slow stop by a signal box. And his driver went for help.

It snowed and snowed, Thomas felt very cold and twice as miserable. Then he heard the sound of an engine. Thomas was delighted - until he saw who his rescuer was. It was Emily.

"I told you to get your snowplough," she said, "now look whats happened."

Thomas was still cross. "You should say sorry for bossing me about!"

"I am sorry," said Emily, "Sorry you didn't listen to me!"

Emily and Thomas chuffed into Tidmouth Sheds. The Fat Controller was waiting, he did not look happy. "Emily, you must take Thomas to get his snowplough fitted at once!" said the Fat Controller sternly. "You must learn to listen!"

Thomas felt bad. He didn't know it was the Fat Controller who wanted him to wear his snowplough. Emily felt bad too. She didn't like seeing Thomas in trouble. "I'm sorry, sir," said Emily, "I forgot to tell Thomas it was your idea."

"You mean I have _two_ engines who don't listen?!" boomed the Fat Controller. "Well I never. Emily, you must take Thomas to get his snowplough fitted at once!"

Soon the work was finished and Thomas was wearing his snowplough. "Thank you for owning up," said Thomas. "You are a very good friend."

"That's all right," said Emily. "You're a good friend too, but next time if you want to stay out of trouble, just do what I say." Even Thomas had to laugh.

* * *

And here's Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough. What did you guys think? Next chapter will be Don't Tell Thomas. So look forward to that and as always rate and review.


	4. Don't Tell Thomas

It was cold and snowy on the Island of Sodor, but everyone was jolly because Christmas was coming. Thomas loved this time of the year. The stationmasters decorated the stations and children were making snowmen.

But there was one thing Thomas didn't like about winter. There was always lots and lots of snow. It piled up very quickly and blocked the tracks, so Thomas worked hard all day keeping the lines open. Thanks to Thomas everything ran on time. All the engines were very pleased. They wanted to thank Thomas for all his hard work.

When all the tracks were cleared Thomas was looking forward to seeing his friends. He had missed them. But there was one friend he missed in particular, yet he couldn't understand why. Emily.

Throughout the days he was ploughing he had her on his mind for some reason. The thought of her made his boiler bubble and his axles tingle in a good way. It had been like this ever since she first came to Sodor. He was astonished by her beauty and he still was today.

When he was clearing away big drifts of snow, the thought of her gave him the strength to carry on even when he was tired or about to give up. Regardless he had cleared all the tracks and got everything running again. So in a way he had Emily to thank. He just wished he knew why he felt funny when he thought about her.

As he puffed towards Dyraw Station he saw Harold the Helicopter talking to Toby. They were planning a thank you surprise for Thomas.

"Hello," he chuffed.

"Remember," said Harold, "don't tell Thomas about the surprise." Then Harold buzzed away and Toby puffed back to his yard. Thomas felt left out. He liked surprises.

That afternoon Thomas was puffing down the main line. He saw Percy waiting in the station. Percy's trucks were loaded with brightly coloured boxes. "Are they part of the surprise?" Thomas asked. Percy was bursting to tell his friend about it but he raced away so that he wouldn't spoil the surprise. Thomas was cross.

Later Thomas had to stop at a signal. As he waited, Emily arrived. Thomas noticed something strange on Emily's truck. It was long and pointy but it was covered up.

"Is that part of the surprise?" he asked. "That," said Emily, "is for me to know and you to find out." and she puffed away.

"Bother," wheeshed Thomas. "If they won't tell me," Thomas huffed, "I'll find out myself."

Thomas secretly followed Emily. He puffed as quietly as he could and he didn't follow too closely. Suddenly Emily turned down one of the branch lines. Thomas raced after her but just as he got to the branch line the signalman changed the points. Thomas had to go straight ahead. "Cinders and Ashes!" Thomas cried. "How will I ever find out what the surprise is?"

Emily was unaware that Thomas had been following her. She safely delivered her load to it's destination. "Right on time," said a workman. "Mission complete," she said to herself.

The men unloaded her flatbed and placed it in it's proper place. Emily was glad to have been involved in Thomas' surprise. When they told her about it, Emily agreed to the offer immediately. She wanted to thank Thomas for all his hard work, especially because he hated snow and wearing his snowplough. He told her the story of how he once damaged his snowplough, just so he wouldn't have to wear it. But he immediately regretted it the next day when he got stuck in a snowdrift and had to be rescued by Terence the Tractor. She thought it was a great story, that was one of the things she liked about Thomas, he always had lots of stories to tell and a lot of them were pretty funny too.

She had missed the little blue engine while he was away and she wanted to properly apologize to him for giving him orders a while ago. While he had forgiven her, she didn't. She hadn't been able to forgive herself for being so bossy when a huge storm hit the island. She knew she was acting differently lately. She was so sweet and kind when she first came to Sodor, but now she was acting the opposite. And she regretted every bit of it, but she knew if she didn't do it then... Emily couldn't bare the thought. She wished she could tell someone like Thomas but...

She shook the thought out of her mind. She turned her attention back to the current situation. She smiled when she saw her delivery uncovered. "_I know you'll love this Thomas,_" she thought to herself. "_And I'm sorry..._"

That evening the engines were very excited. They were all talking about Thomas' surprise. "I can't wait." chuffed Edward. "He'll love it." puffed Percy. But then Thomas arrived.

"Shhh," said James.

"Don't tell Thomas," said Henry, as Thomas backed down into the sheds.

Thomas felt more left out then ever. It wasn't fair. Everyone knew what the surprise was except Thomas. "Hmph. If they won't tell me I don't want to know," he huffed. Thomas steamed crossly away. He puffed as far as he could.

At last it was time to show Thomas the surprise, but no one knew where Thomas had gone.

"Please find him, Harold," Edward puffed. "I'll do my best," said Harold, and he took to the air.

Thomas was parked in a siding. He was cold and sad. Why was he the only one not to know what the surprise was? If only they would tell him. Then Thomas heard a noise. It was coming from the sky. It was Harold the Helicopter.

"There you are old chap!" he called. "It's time for you to collect the children and see the surprise."

"The children?" puffed Thomas.

"Yes, it's a special thank you for keeping the lines clear of snow."

Thomas was delighted. Finally he was going to find out what the surprise was. "So I wasn't being left out?" cried Thomas.

"Of course not," said Harold. "The children are waiting for you at Wellsworth Station." Thomas loved pulling carriages full of children, so he raced away.

Soon he arrived at Wellsworth Station. Thomas collected the children, he puffed through the snowy countryside, the children were very excited, they all wanted to know what the surprise was.

Thomas turned down the branch line. Soon they arrived at a country village and there was Thomas' surprise; a huge Christmas tree was standing in the village square, it's lights shone and it's babbles twinkled and at the bottom of the tree there were lots of presents. There was even some tinsel for Thomas

"It's the best surprise I've ever had!" Thomas puffed happily.

Soon it was time for Thomas to bring the children home. He dropped them off at Wellsworth Station and set of to the coach shed.

Emily was just settling down to rest when she heard the clickity-clack of an engine coming towards the shed. It was Thomas. He left Annie and Clarabel in the shed to rest and reversed to see Emily looking at him.

"Oh, hey, Emily," he said.

"My, someone's looking fabulous," she giggled. Thomas was puzzled, then he realized he still had the tinsel around his smoke box. "Oh, it's from the surprise. You think it looks silly don't you."

"No, no I think it looks great on you," she said

"A-ha, thanks," he replied blushing. "_Oh boy this again,_" he thought to himself. Annie and Clarabel noticed this and chuckled quietly to each other.

"So," Emily asked, "how was the surprise?"

"It was the best surprise ever!" Thomas replied. "It was just great, the presents, the lights, the Christmas tree especially."

"Well, I'm the one who brought the tree to the village, so you're welcome," Emily said almost smugly.

"Well, I secretly followed you to try and see what the surprise was, but I was too slow."

"Oh stealthy, I like that. There's more to you than meets the eye, Thomas," said Emily.

Thomas didn't know if she was complimenting him or not, but that familiar feeling crept into his boiler again. "_Seriously, what's with this feeling, why do I feel like this every time I'm near her,_" he thought to himself.

"Well, I'll leave you alone for the night. Good night Emily."

"Good night Thomas. I'm glad you enjoyed the surprise."

"Aw thanks," replied Thomas and he puffed back to Tidmouth Sheds while Emily closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

And here is Don't Tell Thomas. We also learn a little bit about Emily's sudden change and her remorse. Well guys next chapter is going to a very important part of the story so look forward to that and as always rate and review.


	5. Thomas in Love?

It was another busy day on the Island of Sodor. Thomas was working on his branch line, but he wasn't able to go anywhere at the moment. His local service was halted by a broken signal at Toryreck Station, which meant Thomas couldn't proceed until it was repaired. While the repairs were taking place, Bertie the Bus had to take some of Thomas' passengers for him.

"Ey, Thomas, race to Ffarquhar?" Bertie asked cheekily, knowing that he was guaranteed to win since Thomas was stuck, and he drove away. Thomas would normally be very annoyed if Bertie was able to win a race unfairly, but today he had a lot of things on his mind. His mind was clouded by a persistent thought that he couldn't understand. Annie and Clarabel were quick to notice his unusual silence.

Annie spoke first. "Thomas, you've been awfully quiet this morning. Is there something on your mind?"

Thomas wasn't sure how to respond. He wanted to tell them about the strange feelings he had been having lately, but he didn't know how to say it. He had never spoken to anyone about these feelings. But he knew that he would be able to confide in his coaches with any secrets, after all, he had spent so many years working with them and they had been through so much together. He loved them like older sisters. He always told them everything and he knew he could tell them about this as well.

"Well..." he started, "it's just that...I've been having these strange feelings for quite some time now."

"It's something serious isn't it?! Oh you will have to go to works for days or weeks or months won't you?!" Clarabel shrieked.

"No-no!" he quickly stammered back. "It's nothing like that. Well at least I don't it is."

"That's not that the most comforting reassurance, Thomas!" said Clarabel.

"Sorry. What I mean is..." he sighed. "It's been like this ever since I met Emily for the first time."

Annie and Clarabel perked up. They knew where this going. "Go on," they said in unison.

"When I first saw her I felt different, a good different... I think," he added at the end. "I'd never felt that way before. Every time I see her my boiler bubbles differently and my firebox gets warmer. Every time I see her I can't help but think she's the most beautiful engine in the world, you know, like she's an angel or something, and how pretty her eyes are and how amazing she looks when she smiles...and her beautiful lips..."

Annie and Clarabel smiled. Thomas' explanation had proven that their theory was correct and they were enjoying listening to their friend talk about his feelings, even if he didn't know what they meant just yet.

"...and how big her wheels are-"

"THOMAS!" the coaches exclaimed, their eyes as wide as their buffers and huge blushes on their faces.

"Oh s-sorry. I guess I got carried away..." Annie and Clarabel sighed and tried to compose themselves. The three of them may have been best friends and shared almost a brother and sisters relationship, but there were still somethings that needed to be kept to one's self.

"So, eh, anyway," Thomas stuttered awkwardly to try and get back to the discussion at hand, "do you two know what these feelings are?" he asked hopefully.

Annie spoke first. "Well, Thomas, judging by what you said, it's clear to us that you obviously care about Emily deeply, as something more than just a friend."

Thomas was confused. "Something more than just a friend?"

"Yes, Thomas, you said you can't help but admire her beauty and you feel nervous around her, but you've been unsure about yourself. You've been having these feelings because you care about her as more than just a friend, it means you've fallen in love with her, Thomas," said Clarabel.

Thomas could hardly believe what he had heard. "Y-you mean like, the type of love that a husband and wife feel for each other?"

"Yes, Thomas, that kind of love."

Thomas didn't know what to make of this. _"I'm in love with Emily?"_ He didn't know anything about that kind of love. What if she felt the same way he did? What if she didn't? He had so many questions.

"Do you think maybe...she feels the same way about me?"

"We don't know, Thomas," Annie started. "That's up to you to find out yourself," finished Clarabel.

Thomas thought hard about it. Did he really love her? All those strange but good feelings would explain it, but he wasn't completely sure. He thought about all the things he liked about her. When they met she very kind, almost like a female Edward. She looked out for everyone like when Henry had leaky tubes and when she scolded him and Percy for teasing Salty. She was almost a sort of motherly figure and that's what Thomas loved about her, she was caring and helpful to the other engines.

However, recently she had been acting bossy and sometimes rude to the engines like when she bossed everyone around after a storm and when she tried to "help" him out during winter by nagging at him and when she boasted about winning a cleanliness competition for the best looking engine. Of course she apologized for her behavior, but she kept acting like that afterwards. Even then, there were times she still acted like her normal nice self on a few occasions, but Thomas wished she would always be like that. If he really was in love with her then it was the sweet, kind and gentle Emily he loved, not the mean and bossy one.

But why was she acting differently lately? What caused her to change? Thomas wanted to know the reason behind that more than anything.

"Thomas!" Thomas was snapped out of his thoughts by Annie's calling. "The signal is fixed. We can go now," said Annie.

"Oh right," and Thomas puffed away, he was now running very late. "Listen, thanks for helping me understand my feelings."

Annie and Clarabel smiled. "Anytime, Thomas."

As Thomas rolled along the line, he started to seriously think about whether he was really and truly in love with Emily.

Speaking of Emily, the beautiful emerald engine was alone in an old siding, far away. Tears were falling down her delicate face. Tears of sadness and regret.

"_Goody-goody tell tale_..._Do good-er_." Those words kept replaying in her mind over and over.

"I don't care if I'm a goody-goody tell tale or a do good-er. Why do they have to torment me about it? Why can't they leave me alone?"

She kept crying. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Sorry to everyone I've upset."

She then thought of Thomas and what she did to him. "Thomas," she whispered, thinking of the happy times they had shared before this.

"_Well, you're an amazing engine Emily. I'm really glad you came here_."

That was all ruined thanks to...them. She was sure Thomas hated her now and wished she had never come to Sodor.

That was when her emotions took complete control and the floodgates burst open.

"I'M SORRY, THOMAS!" she shouted at the top of her voice. She cried and cried harder and harder. Why oh why did these things have to happen to her. All Emily could do was pray and hope it would come to an end.

"Thomas...please...help me..."

* * *

And here it is chapter 5. I'm sorry it took a while to update I've been busy getting back to school and all so I hope it was worth the wait. It also means I won't be able to post new chapters too frequently so please bare with me. I only have 5 weeks until summer holidays.

So tell me what you thought of this chapter because this was a pain to write. What you think of Emily in this chapter. Also see how many of you got big wheels joke. Next chapter is going to be a big one 'Emily's New Route' but more specifically the 'date' at the end. So look forward to that and as always rate and review.


	6. Emily's New Route

Summer had come once again to the Island of Sodor, All the engines were very busy. They carried freight and passengers up and down the line. But the engines liked being busy, so they were happy.

All except Emily. She was down at the Docks with Salty, shunting trucks into the sidings, and she didn't like the work at all. But she also upset about something else in particular...

Her recent behavior was getting far too out of hand for her liking. She was being bossier and bossier and she regretted every second of it. This wasn't who she was, she was sweet, kind and selfless...or at least she used to. That was all changed because of two engines in particular, two engines who had made her life a misery, dreading every single day, hoping they would stop pestering her. She also deeply concerned about what the other engines thought of her now...especially Thomas. He was the most important engine on the island to her. Even though she only known him for nearly a year and a half he was her best and closest friend and she couldn't bare to lose him because of the way she was acting.

Salty tried to cheer her up with one of his stories. "It's about a lighthouse, a box of oranges and a fishing rod," said Salty. "It all started when..."

But only Salty seemed to know what his stories were about, and Emily soon stopped listening.

"Oh, I wish I could do something different," she said.

Emily's wish came true the very next morning. The Fat Controller had come to see her. "I am opening up some new routes for the summer," he announced. "Emily, you will pull the flour mill special."

"Thank you, sir," said Emily. She was pleased, maybe she could use this to take her mind of feeling sad for her recent actions. As she was about to leave Thomas rolled in with some trucks.

"Hello, Thomas," said Emily.

Thomas blushed. "Oh, h-hello, Emily. What are you doing?" he asked nervously.

"Well," she announced proudly, "the Fat Controller has just given my the flour mill special to run."

"Well congratulations, Emily. That should be an interesting experience. Have fun."

"Oh I will. Goodbye Thomas." and she puffed away.

When she was gone he sighed deeply. After he learned from Annie and Clarabel that he was slowly falling in love with Emily, he had been even more nervous around her because of it. Although part of him was still unsure if he truly was in love with her. He had to wonder though if she had any feelings for him too.

"I guess I can hope so," he said to himself, unsurely.

Emily stopped to fill up with water on her way to the flour mill, but James was already there.

"The Fat Controller has given me the flour mill special," said Emily.

"You're lucky," James huffed, "I have to do the Black Loch run."

"Why don't you like going to Black Loch?" asked Emily.

"There are boulders all over the tracks," he moaned. "They bash your buffers and scratch your paint...and there's the Black Loch monster."

"What's the Black Loch monster?"

"Nobody knows," said James, "Black figures move in the water then disappear." And he puffed away. Emily was pleased she didn't have to go to Black Loch.

At the flour mill, the flour was loaded into the trucks. Emily was coupled up, then she puffed across the countryside to Knapford Station. But the Troublesome Trucks saw a chance for mischief. "Hold back, hold back!" they screeched. Emily pulled as hard as she could, but the trucks made her go very slowly.

Emily was late delivering the flour. So there would be no fresh bread today. The Fat Controller was cross. "This means I won't have any toast or crumpets for breakfast! If you are late again, you will have to do the Black Loch run instead of James!"

Emily didn't want to have her buffers bashed by boulders and she didn't want to see the Black Loch monster.

"I must get the flour to the station on time," Emily puffed.

Later that day, Emily was back at Brendam Docks delivering some flatbeds. She was still worried about the Black Loch monster. Then Salty rolled up.

"Ahoy there, me Hearty, back here once again? Eh, you're looking all washed up. What be the matter?"

This time Emily was interested in listening Salty's stories. She wondered if Salty knew anything about the Black Loch monster, after all he knew everything about sea creatures. "Salty, have you ever heard of the Black Loch monster?"

"Aye matey, I have indeed. Tis a fearsome beast alright, lurking around in the depths of the waters searching for it's next prey. And once it finds a suitable prey, it strikes!"

"And what is it's prey," She asked nervously, though she wished she hadn't.

"Oh, it could be anything, Emily. Animals, people," he paused dramatically, "Some have said that he even eats...engines!"

Emily gasped and gulped in fear. If she didn't deliver the flour on time tomorrow then she might be the monsters next prey.

"So, ye better watch your buffers matey, otherwise ye could end up in Davey Jones' Locker."

"Y-yeah, thanks Salty...that's really reassuring," Emily said with fear in her voice. "_Must be on time, must be on time!_" she thought to herself.

* * *

The next morning the trucks tricked her again. "Of we go, of we go," they chuckled. But they weren't coupled up properly. "Mustn't be late, mustn't be late," they giggled. So Emily puffed quickly away but only half of the trucks went with her.

Emily arrived at the station. "But you've only brought half of the flour!" the Stationmaster cried. So Emily had to go back for the rest of the trucks.

"Oh no!" Emily cried, "I don't wan't to get the Black Loch run."

When Emily arrived at the Mill the trucks were more troublesome than ever. "Emily the late engine, Emily the late engine!" they sang. This made Emily very cross and she biffed them very hard. "Oh no!" they cried and splashed into the duck pond. Emily was covered in a floury mess.

Emily was in even more trouble now. That evening the Fat Controller came to see Emily. "Emily, you have caused confusion and delay!" The Fat Controller said. "Now, you are to take over the Black Loch run!" Emily was very unhappy.

"Wait until you've tried it," Thomas puffed. "The Black Loch run might be nice."

"I don't think so," Emily moaned. "Bashed buffers and a big monster, sounds miserable to me!"

Thomas wanted to do something to calm her down. "You can't just jump to conclusions, Emily. Surely there must reasonable explanation to this 'monster'."

"Like what?"

"Maybe it took a wrong turn. Maybe it was heading to Scotland or summit on holiday and went the wrong way," he said jokingly.

That didn't change Emily's mood. "That isn't helping, Thomas."

"Oh come on, Emily, there's no such thing as monsters and there's surely no real monster at Black Loch either."

Emily really wanted to believe Thomas but she was still scared and nervous. "I don't to be monster prey," she moaned.

"You won't," he reassured. This was one thing he didn't seeing, his secret love interest - if he was sure about that - being afraid. "You're one of the bravest engines I know. You'll be fine, trust me."

"I hope so," she said, blushing slightly.

The next morning Emily puffed sadly to the station. Lots of excited children and holidaymakers climbed on board.

"_They're all looking forward to their holidays,_" she thought. "_I mustn't let them down._"

Soon Emily was steaming up hills and through valleys. "I bet it won't last," she said to herself.

Emily reached the murky waters of Black Loch. "That's were the monster's suppose to be," she puffed nervously. Then there was trouble! Rocks fell and blocked the line. Emily had to wait for help. "I knew I wouldn't like this route," she huffed.

Suddenly, she saw something dark and mysterious moving in the water. "And now the monster's coming!" Emily gasped. Emily was scared. Her boiler quivered and her valves rattled. She wanted to steam away. "I never want to see Black Loch again!" she cried. But Emily thought of the children in the carriages behind her. She was determined to get them to they're holiday whatever it took. At last the water settled and Emily saw what the monster really was. "It's a family of seals!" Emily was delighted and the children were delighted too. Soon the line was clear, Emily steamed on through the countryside. The children would reach they're holiday on time.

At last Emily arrived home feeling very happy. Thomas was there and saw her happy face. "Well someone's cheerful." he said. "So how'd it go. See any monsters?" he asked.

"Actually," Emily replied, "I found out what the monster really was."

"Oh, and what was it?" he asked.

"A family of seals!" she announced.

"Seals?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"I know seals when I see them, Thomas. Oh I wish you could have seen them," she said.

"I'm sure I'll get to see them this evening," he puffed.

"Well, I'm sure you'll love it," she replied and was just about to leave when Thomas stopped her. "Wait, Emily."

"What?" she asked.

Thomas was suddenly feeling very nervous. He had this idea on his mind for quite some time. He wanted to be one hundred percent sure he was in love her, so he decided that maybe if he did something with her alone then maybe he would know for sure. The only problem was actually asking her if she was willing to go out with him.

Emily saw his nervous expression. "What do you want to ask me, Thomas?" she asked.

Thomas started to panic a little. "_She knows I'm nervous,_" he thought, "_I have to pull myself together._" He took a deep breath. "_Well here goes nothing_."

"I was just wondering if...maybe...you wouldn't mind...er, going with me to Black Loch tonight, you know...just the two of us?" His face was redder than James' paint. _"Please say yes,"_ he thought to himself. He also hoped she didn't think he was scared of going alone.

Emily was surprised by his question. Was Thomas asking her out...on a date? She started to blush herself and she felt a strange bubbling feeling in her boiler. No had ever asked her such a thing. On the other hand she did want to see the seals again so going back to them with Thomas seemed perfectly alright. And how could she possibly say no, he looked so cute when he was nervous and blushing.

"I would love to," she finally answered, still blushing.

Thomas couldn't believe it. She had actually said yes.

"Great," he said. "I'll see you there tonight." And he puffed excitedly away. Emily was still blushing and her boiler still had that bubbling feeling. She started to feel giddy. "Oh this is going to fun!"

At last, evening came and Thomas waiting eagerly at Black Loch for Emily. Then, he heard the sounds of an engine coming towards him. It was Emily.

"Oh, you're here already. I'm not late am I?" she asked.

"I never said anything about being on time," chuckled Thomas. "Are you sure you saw seals, because I haven't seen them yet."

"Of course I saw seals. Give them time." And sure enough after she said that the seals emerged from the water.

"Cinders and ashes!" gasped Thomas. "They're are seals."

Emily smiled triumphantly. "Told you," she said smugly. She then gazed at the happy seals. "You were right," she said. "Black Loch is a nice route after all."

Thomas smiled. "I knew you would like it," he puffed. Emily smiled back at him. "Thanks for helping me, Thomas." Thomas was confused. "What did I do?"

"You gave me encouragement when I was too scared to go through with my job. I probably would have just stayed in my shed if you didn't convince me to face my fears. That's more than anyone's ever done for me," she confessed.

Thomas smiled again. "Your welcome, Emily, and besides, monsters are just figments of the imagination meant to scare us. Being scared of something is just a natural thing. If you want to be brave you have to stop and think about it. Either that or just don't bother believing in them."

"Since when where you so wise," she chuckled.

"Hey, who said you needed to be old in order to be wise?" he retorted. She knew Thomas was right. "Point taken."

They turned their attention back to the seals who were playing in water, which thanks to the sunset made it very beautiful. Thomas glanced over at Emily. The sunset made her look even more beautiful. Her emerald paint glistened brightly, her gold ring around her funnel twinkled, just every single feature of her was so beautiful. He started to feel a very familiar sensation in his boiler. His cheeks grew redder as he continued to admire her.

He snapped out of it when he heard Emily speaking. "Isn't it beautiful, Thomas?" she asked. "Yeah," he replied and gazed at her again before saying, "Just like you." Right after he said that he realized what he just said. Emily heard him and blushed a deep shade of red. "You really mean that?" she asked, still deeply blushing. Thomas started to calm down. "Of course I mean it, Emily. You're the most beautiful engine I've ever seen," he said sincerely. Somehow Emily managed to blush even deeper. "You're so sweet...Tommy," she replied.

Thomas was definitely not expecting that. "What did you just call me?"

"Tommy," she replied. "What's wrong with that name?"

"It sounds silly, if any of the other engines found out then they'd never stop teasing me," he retorted.

Emily smiled. "Don't worry about what others will think, I think it sounds cute and adorable..." she paused for a bit. "...just like you."

This made Thomas blush once again. "Eh, thanks," he said sheepishly. "You're welcome," she said.

After a brief moment of silence Emily spoke again. "Listen, Thomas, I want to say thank you for being such a sweet, kind and caring friend. I don't know how I'd do if I didn't a great friend like you," she said sincerely.

Thomas smiled at her. "Well, I'm glad to have an amazing friend like you Emily. And trust me, if you ever feel scared or you need any help, know that I'll always be there for you."

Emily was deeply touched by his sweet and gentle words. He made her feel safe and protected. It was at that moment she realized that she was wrong. Even after all the mean and horrible things she had done he still cared about her, he said he would always help her, no matter what it was. However there was one thing that no matter how much Emily desperately wanted to tell him, she was too scared to reveal her darkest secret.

She gazed at the adorable little engine next to her, in a way she never looked at him before. The sunset made him look different. It made him look so...handsome. She remembered when she met him at Knapford where she admitted to herself he looked handsome. She started to feel a strange sensation. Her boiler was bubbling more than ever and her firebox grew hotter. It was a new feeling to her but she found it very comforting. She had a feeling she knew what it was; she was slowly beginning to fall in love with Thomas...and she refused any attempt to deny it. For the first time in months she was truly happy and at peace as she embraced her new feelings for Thomas.

After a while the two decided it was time to go home. They stopped at Knapford Junction. Emily spoke first. "Thank you, Thomas. I really had a great time with you tonight." Thomas smiled. "So did I, Emily. Maybe we could do something like this again sometime?"

"I would love that," she replied as her signal turned green. "Goodnight, Tommy," she said cheekily and puffed away. "Hey! I said don't call me that!" he shouted after her. Emily just chuckled and headed home, thinking about the great night they spent and the wonderful seeds of love for the little blue engine that had been planted in her heart.

Thomas couldn't stay cross at her. It had been an amazing night and he was so glad she had come to Sodor. But most importantly, tonight he was finally one hundred perecent sure about how he felt about her.

"Goodnight, Emily," he puffed. "I love you."

* * *

FINALLY! This took so long, that and school is really draining but only 2 or 3 weeks lefts. I apologize for the delay but I hope this was worth the wait. Next chapter is Halloween, which hopefully won't be nearly as long as this chapter. Until then rate and review.


	7. Halloween

It was full steam ahead on the Island of Sodor. All the engines were running on time, they wanted to finish their work quickly because tonight was Halloween. The engines loved seeing the children in their Halloween costumes and the engines loved to hear tales of ghostly engines and scary steam trains.

That evening the Fat Controller came to Tidmouth Sheds. "Thomas and Emily, you must go to the Smelters Yard," he said. "An important delivery of iron must be collected right away."

"Yes, sir," they puffed. Percy thought the Smelter's Yard was spooky. He was worried about his friends. "Look out for ghosts," he whistled nervously. "It is Halloween."

"There's no such thing as ghost's," Thomas said cheerfully. "It's just silly make believe," added Emily. And they steamed of to the Smelters Yard.

The sun was setting and it was getting dark. "Imagine being scared of Halloween." puffed Thomas. "Or the Smelters Yard." sniffed Emily. "Pah!" added Thomas, although he had been scared there before, but he didn't want Emily to think he was scared.

Thomas and Emily enjoyed feeling brave. But when they got to the Smelters Yard, it was very spooky.

"Oh my," whispered Emily. "Oh dear," hissed Thomas.

They puffed slowly through the jagged steel and twisted scrap. The air grew hotter and smoke grew thicker.

'Arry and Bert were lurking nearby. The two diesels saw a chance to scare a couple of steamies. When Thomas and Emily rolled by they moaned and groaned, it sounded spooky.

"What was that!" snapped Emily. "You said there was no such thing as ghosts!"

"Silly make believe you said!" gasped Thomas.

Suddenly, a truck began to shudder and shake. "Cinders and Ashes!" cried Thomas. "Help!" wailed Emily, "It's a ghost! Let's get away from here!" They didn't know 'Arry and Bert were bumping the flatbeds' buffers. The two naughty diesels were having great fun.

Thomas and Emily pulled up to the smelting shed. They gasped at the ghostly shadows and fizzing sparks. Their wheels felt as if they were frozen but they had to go inside.

"I hope the ghost hasn't gone in there," quaked Thomas. "Me too," quivered Emily. And they both rolled into the smelting shed. Inside chains clanked and strange shadows danced across the walls. The two engines gulped nervously. "Must be brave, must be brave," Thomas puffed. But it was spooky.

Emily was turning round, ready to shunt some trucks. A great whoosh of sparks lit up the shed. "Bust my buffers!" cried Emily.

Emily was scared. She didn't notice the white tarpaulin, it fell covering her from funnel to footplate. "The ghost! It's got me!" She away as fast as her pistons could pump. Thomas heard Emily scream and thought that the ghost had got her. "Emily!" he called. But then he saw something white coming towards him. Thomas thought Emily was the ghost and he raced out of the smelting shed.

"The ghost is after me!" cried Thomas. 'Arry and Bert thought Emily was the ghost too and they raced away. Thomas was right behind them and Emily was right behind Thomas.

As the four engines kept runing through the misty night Emily kept screaming. "Help! The ghost has got me!" 'Arry, Bert, Thomas and Emily raced towards Tidmouth Sheds.

Tidmouth Sheds was quiet and peaceful. All the engines were fast asleep. Thomas' whistle soon woke them up.

"It's Thomas!" cried Percy, "Something must be wrong." Suddenly he saw Thomas, 'Arry and Bert racing into the yards. "Stop!" he cried.

'Arry, Bert and Thomas applied their brakes, they stopped just in time.

"The ghost is after us!" whistled Thomas.

Percy was scared, but just then Emily raced under a signal and the tarpaulin flew off.

"That's no ghost," said Percy, "That's Emily!" The engines didn't feel scared anymore, but they did feel foolish.

The Fat Controller arrived wearing his pajamas. "What is all this fuss and bother!" he boomed. "It has caused confusion and delay!"

"But, sir," cried Thomas, "the flatbeds were rattling."

"And we heard moaning," said Emily.

"And groaning," added Thomas.

The Fat Controller looked at 'Arry and Bert. "Do you know anything about this?" he asked sternly.

"It was us, sir," Bert mumbled.

"For your punishment you will go back and collect the iron at once!" said the Fat Controller.

"Yes, sir," said 'Arry and Bert and they rumbled away.

Then the Fat Controller turned to Thomas and Emily. "Next time I send you two to collect iron, make sure this doesn't happen again!" he said sternly.

"Yes, sir," they replied, feeling very embarrassed. Once the Fat Controller left, things got much worse. The other engines burst out laughing and started to tease them.

"Fancy being afraid a tarpaulin," James laughed, "How stupid can you get."

"Stupid is an understatement!" Gordon grunted, "Pathetic is more like it. All this over a tarpaulin."

"All right Gordon, just drop it," Edward cut in. "If you were in their place you would of has the same reaction they did."

"Ha! I'd be able to tell the difference between a ghost and a tarpaulin. It's no wonder she was scared, she's got the mind of a tank engine. Always pretending they know everything, always believing in silly stories, always behaving like twits, always making a bog of everything. She actually thought she could pull my express twice before teatime, she's wants to get her smokebox cleared out that's what she wants!"

Thomas meanwhile was looking like he was going to lose it. What right did Gordon have to say those things to Emily? Yes, she made mistakes, but so what? Everyone made mistakes. Thomas had made many more mistakes than Emily did, even Gordon himself made a fool of himself countless times before. Thomas was about to retort at Gordon, but then he saw Emily puffing away.

"Emily, wait!" Thomas called after her. He gave Gordon a hard glare and raced after her. "Come back!"

Gordon said nothing. "Gordon...sometimes you make me sick to my boiler," Edward sighed.

Thomas rounded the bend after Emily. "Emily, stop, come back! Please!" he shouted after her. He saw her slow down and come to a stop. When Thomas got to her, he could see she was crying. He had never seen her cry before and it made him even angrier with Gordon.

"Emily, don't listen to Gordon," he said with a worried expression. Emily kept crying. "But he's right," she sobbed. "I am pathetic. I got scared of something as simple as a tarpaulin. And not even that, I was stupid enough to think I could do a better job of pulling the express than him. I'm an idiot," she sobbed.

"Don't ever say that!" Thomas said sharply, surprising her. "So you got scared and made some mistakes. Who cares? Everyone makes mistakes, that doesn't make you an idiot. No one is mad at you just because you screwed up two little things. You can't change any of that, you can only learn from your mistakes so you never make those mistakes again."

Emily was a bit taken a back and a bit hurt by his somewhat harsh words. He noticed this and felt bad for shouting at her. "Emily, everyone gets scared at some point in their lives. It doesn't matter who you are or how brave you are, everyone will get scared at some point. I mean heck I've been scared loads of times before," he said.

"You have?"

"Yeah. Once Percy had an accident and got covered in lime so he looked like a ghost, then he and Toby played a trick on me and I was really scared. After that Percy kept teasing me about it but I ended up scaring him with with a paper dragon so that was buried under the hatchet. But then, this time a year before you became came here me, Percy and Duck were working in the Smelters and I kept teasing Percy about being scared. But when Percy and Duck left I had to finish the job on my own and I got scared and went all the way to the back of the shed and I ran into some chains and then I heard an old whistle which I thought was the ghosts. So I ran away and hid in my shed until Percy came back."

"So what you said earlier about not being scared was..."

"A lie. I was terrified about having to go back there," he admitted.

"But why didn't you say so?" she asked.

"Because...I don't know, I guess I didn't want to be reminded of what happened there. But tonight I was more scared than ever. Not just because of how spooky the Smelters is, but because when I heard you scream I thought you got caught by the ghost and were lost forever. I thought you were dead..." he said quietly.

Those words made Emily feel even worse. He thought her covered by the tarpaulin was actually her wandering spirit chasing after him. He thought she was dead. The mere thought of her nearly traumatizing him for thinking she was gone forever brought more tears to her eyes. "Oh, Thomas, I'm so sorry for scaring you so much like that." she sobbed.

"It wasn't your fault," Thomas reassured. "You were scared, you were startled, you were in a very scary place and you ran away. No one is perfect Emily. I was scared, even 'Arry and Bert were scared. It wasn't your fault. So please stop blaming yourself."

She looked up at him and stopped crying but still looked sad. "Come on, give me a smile," he chuckled. "Come on, you know you want to." With that Emily had to give in and gave him a little smile. "There you go," he said making her chuckle.

"Do you always try to be so sweet and caring?" she asked.

"Well, someone has to."

Emily chuckled again. "Well thanks for cheering me up, Tommy," she added cheekily.

"Hey!" Thomas moaned, "you know I don't like that name." Emily just laughed more. If there was one thing Thomas was good at, it was making her laugh.

Whenever Thomas and Emily went back to the Smelters Yard, they knew there was nothing to be scared of. After all, there is no such thing as ghosts. It was all silly make believe.

* * *

Ok first of all I want to apologize for the delay of this chapter. I had my summer exams coming up so I had to study a lot for them so I couldn't put much focus on to this. But now that exams are done I got all summer to relax so I have more time to focus on this.

So anyway guys next chapter is Calling All Engines. God help me. No idea when it will be up, but I do know it will be an absolute beast to write. Also I changed the rating to T because of bit of the language used in this chapter and also because in future chapters you will see why I changed it. So tell me what you thought of this chapter and I will see you all next time.


	8. Love Can Forgive Anything

It was quiet in Knapford Sheds. Emily was parked comfortably inside, surrounded by an assortment of coaches, whom had been chattering to each other before they fell asleep. She looked over at the rails next to her, thinking to herself.

Since Tidmouth Sheds had been demolished Thomas had to stay with Emily. Unfortunately Emily hadn't greeted him too warmly, which she instantly regretted. He was her best friend and instead of enjoying his company, she made him shut up and go to sleep.

She blamed those two. The two engines who turned her into the awful engine she was now. The more she kept being bossy and mean, the more it kept effecting her friendship with the other engines. Especially Thomas, and she didn't want to ruin their friendship. He was more important to her than any other engine, so important to her she had romantic feelings for him, ever since that night at Black Loch.

Speaking of Thomas, Emily noticed he hadn't returned to the shed yet. "Where is he?" she said to herself.

She started to worry. What if he had been involved in some terrible accident and had come of the rails?

Emily shook those thoughts out her head. "Think positive," she said. "He must be staying with Percy. He's bound to be safe." Then she remembered that Percy was staying at the Smelters Yard. She remembered what happened when she and Thomas went there last Halloween.

"On second thought maybe he's not so safe," she said, shuddering at the thought of the Smelters. "Just relax. He's probably on his way here right now," she told herself, followed by a yawn. "He's sure to be here when I wake up." She closed her eyes and waited for her sleep to come.

But her eyes ended up slipping back open about half an hour later. She was beginning to feel more and more anxious. Thomas was still not back, and she was beginning to feel lonely. She quivered a bit as the cold wind blew through the cracks in the shed doors, whisking around her cold boiler.

Emily sighed softly, trying not to worry. "It doesn't matter," she whispered to herself, "He's alright. Besides, you like sleeping alone…"

She paused for a second.

"...or do I?"

Her eyes scanned across the shed. She was technically alone, not counting the coaches. The coaches were always here, two of them her own. In another corner of the room, Annie and Clarabel rested.

Like Emily, Thomas had earned his coaches by rescuing another engine. She could remember the day he told her the story of when he saved James after a dreadful accident with some trucks. For being so brave and selfless, the Fat Controller had given him his own branch line and Annie and Clarabel.

_"What an amazing story, Thomas,"_ Emily had said. That was one quality about Thomas that she couldn't ignore…he had heart. Sure, he could sometimes be cheeky and troublesome, but he's always brave and serious when he's needed to be. He almost always flashed his smile, and performed any task given to him with little to no difficulty.

It was something that kept Emily wondering since she met him. This little blue engine…what is he thinking? Why does he seem so special? Why had no other engine ever touched her heart the way he did before she met him? Emily eyed the two sleeping coaches, trying to find an answer.

"You two have known him longer than I have," she murmured. "What are his secrets? His thoughts? Please tell me…"

But coaches don't talk in their sleep, so sadly Emily got nothing. She sighed and looked away, trying not to remember how cross Thomas was when she stole his coaches by mistake.

She looked up at the flickering lights. "Sorry about that one, Thomas…" she said to herself. Emily's eyes trailed down to her buffers, still thinking about her little blue friend.

Recently, there was a massive storm on the Island, leaving many without power and buildings were severely damaged. Even the Sodor Suspension Bridge, which was on the Island before Emily and Thomas were, ended up collapsing. She remembered when he arrived to inform the Fat Controller what had happened.

She remembered how heartbroken the little engine looked. She felt even worse for snapping at him just the night before.

And despite this, somehow Thomas got right back to work. Despite getting into a fight with the diesels, he helped out with the workload, and even got an idea to help the steam engines and diesel engines get along to try to work together.

"You just always know what to do?" she giggled to herself, remembering when Thomas showed up to tell her his plan. Her thoughts of Thomas were happy and pure until she remembered that he wasn't here. She looked next to her, hoping to see him fast asleep next to her, but instead saw nothing.

Emily sighed quietly her self, looking back up at the ceiling. She was beginning to miss him more and more by the second. She wanted to hear him talk all about what he did today. She wanted to hear his sleep whistle... It was only now she realized how lonely she had been sleeping by herself for all this time and how much she really enjoyed Thomas being beside her.

Tears began to form in Emily's eyes as she remembered her times with Thomas. The night they shared at Black Loch was something Emily would never forget. Everything was perfect. Everything was so romantic. She still blushed every time she remembered what he said to her.

"_You're the most beautiful engine I've ever seen_."

That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her. And of course she came up with her nickname for him: Tommy, which he didn't like at all, but she had a suspicion he secretly did.

Then there was last Halloween, where she had unintentionally frightened the life out of him and her. She felt so bad about it especially because he thought that she was left for dead, to wander the Smelters for all eternity. Both those incidents showed her how much Thomas cared about her and it was because of that he was not only her most precious friend but also he was the one who had undeniably stolen her heart. Although she couldn't say those three magic words yet, she knew without a shadow of a doubt how much the little blue engine really meant to her.

And how did she repay him for being so good to her?

"_And now you will never leave my shed_!"

Of all the bad things she had done in the past few months, that was by far the most horrible thing she had ever done in her life. She basically told Thomas she hated having him in her shed and that she wanted him gone. She burst into a torrent of tears when she realized he must have taken her words to heart and left her. Emily's heart shattered at the thought that he must hate her for saying after all he did for help.

"Thomas, I'm so sorry," she sobbed, she was crying so much she started hiccuping. She wished none of this ever happened. She wished she had never done all of those horrible things. But most of all she wished Thomas was beside her. But he wasn't and she kept crying until she finally began to fall into an uncomfortable sleep.

"Thomas...please...come back to me..." she sobbed.

"...I love you..."

And halfway across the Island, shivering in the cold as an owl hooted at him while he tried to fall asleep was Thomas. It wasn't the owl or the cold that was keeping him awake…it was Emily. Thomas couldn't stop thinking about her.

Despite all of Emily's complaints about him being too noisy, he wasn't cross with her. Even though she was acting differently than when she arrived on Sodor, the Emily that he fell in love with, despite her bossiness, he still loved her. The night she complained about him never leaving her shed, he woke up in the middle of the night and he saw Emily crying in her sleep. He could tell that she was crying over what she had said to him and seeing her beautiful face soaked with tears was almost heartbreaking for him.

All he wanted right now was to be asleep right next to her. He didn't know why, but sleeping beside Emily made Thomas even warmer while he slept, he never felt like that when he slept in Tidmouth Sheds with the other engines, only when he slept beside Emily did he feel such warmth and comfort, despite her attitude. He wondered how Emily was at that moment. Was she glad he was gone? Or did she miss him?

"Emily…I miss you…" he whispered quietly to himself as his eyes slid closed, wishing he was beside her.

* * *

The following night Emily was resting in Knapford Sheds again, desperately hoping Thomas would come back. She had woken up that morning feeling very sad and a little sick. She didn't want to leave the shed, but she had to go to the meeting like Thomas asked her, and also she wanted to tell him how sorry she was for shouting at him. However she didn't get the chance to talk to him because they were all so busy working together with the diesels to get the airport, the suspension bridge and Tidmouth Sheds finished. They were still a ways away but it was progress, and it was all thanks to Thomas' idea.

Now all Emily could do was wait anxiously for him. "Oh, who am I kidding?" she sighed sadly, "Thomas is never going to come back, not after what I said to him." She was about to fall into another lonely nights sleep, when...

T-Thomas?" she asked hopefully, as she heard someone coming towards the shed. Words could not describe the joy on Emily's face when she heard Thomas' whistle. "Thomas!" she cried happily. "You came back to me!"

"Of course I did," Thomas replied with smile, "I couldn't spend another night without you."

Emily was surprised. She was expecting him to hate her after everything she said to him. "R-really?" she asked. "You don't hate me?"

"What?!" Thomas was confused. "Why would I hate you?"

"...Because all I did was shout at you and tell you to be quiet." She started to tear up. "I said I hated having you here." Then the tears began to fall. "Oh Thomas, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean any of those things, I love having you here, I love hearing what you've been up to." she sobbed. "Without you it was so lonely. I missed you so much, I even missed your sleep whistle..." she continued to sob gently.

Thomas didn't say anything. He just gazed at her and smiled sympathetically. He spoke gently to her. "Emily, I could never hate you and I could never stay mad at you. The only reason I didn't come back here last night was because I had a long day and I was too tired to come back, not because I was mad at you. Believe me, you have no idea how cold and lonely I was sleeping in a siding, especially when the only one talk to was an owl. And you have no idea how much _I_ missed _you,_" he said softly, blushing slightly.

Emily felt her boiler bubble in a very familiar way. The same way she felt it when she fell in love with Thomas. She felt a small blush creep up on her face as well. "You mean that?" she asked.

"Of course I do. All I wanted was to be asleep right beside you," he said truthfully. "However..." he trailed off, "I feel so bad for worrying you so much last night...I'm sorry I made you feel so lonely. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can, Tommy," Emily replied happily. Thomas smiled at her, although he didn't like his nickname he couldn't get upset about it. "Thank you." Then he had an idea. "Come outside," he said. Emily was confused. "What for?" she asked. "I want to do a bit of stargazing," he replied. "Oh, eh OK..." Emily said as she followed him out of the shed.

It was a warm night. The moon shone brightly over the shed and there were lots and lots of stars in the sky. Emily thought they all looked beautiful. She turned her gaze to the little blue engine beside her. The moon's bright light reflecting of his blue paint made him look like a beautiful cobalt. She thought he looked so...majestic, so...radiant and not to mention, so very, very...handsome, granted she always thought he was handsome from the moment they first met.

Thomas looked over at Emily. He had always thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life, particularly when they were at Black Loch. Words could not describe how beautiful Thomas thought she looked that night. But tonight she looked even more amazing in the moonlight. She looked just like a real emerald. Beautiful, gorgeous and yet almost...seductive. Thomas very quickly shook that last thought of his head, feeling very embarrassed for thinking such a thing. To him Emily looked simply flawless.

They turned their attention to each other faces taking in little features, then quickly looked away, blushing deeply when they realized they were staring at each other. They looked up at the stars once again. There was no need for any words, there were just two engines, secretly in love with one another, enjoying the beautiful moment in peaceful silence.

But the silence was broken when Emily let out a big sleepy yawn. Thomas thought she looked cute when she did that. "Tired are we?" he chuckled. "Yeah. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night," she replied sleepily. Thomas smiled and yawned as well. "Come on. Let's get some sleep." he said kindly. So they went back into the shed, ready for a good nights rest.

"Good night, Emily."

"Good night, Tommy."

They settled down to sleep. Then Emily was woken up by a familiar sound. It was Thomas' sleep whistle. Instead of getting annoyed, she sighed contently. "Sweet dreams, Tommy. I love you," she whispered and smiled happily as the sound of Thomas' sleep whistle lulled her into a peaceful and comfortable slumber.

* * *

Over the next few nights Thomas and Emily were perfectly content. Emily hadn't complained once and she grew really fond of his sleep whistle. Thomas was just happy to spend more time with her and enjoy himself. At long last the airport was completed, the Sodor Suspension Bridge was repaired and Tidmouth Sheds were rebuilt.

The engines were delighted to be back at Tidmouth again, but Thomas and Emily were sad. With the sheds rebuilt Thomas no longer had to stay with Emily. She would be lonely again, until Percy pointed out that instead of six berths there were now seven, the seventh berth being for Emily. From now on she would live at Tidmouth Sheds with Thomas and the rest of her friends. However there were two engines in particular that Emily wasn't looking to forward to sleeping with and those two could sense it.

Emily was the last engine to enter the shed and settled down beside Thomas. They talked with the other engines til one by one they fell asleep. Thomas and Emily were the only ones awake.

"So, how are you finding your new home?" Thomas asked. Emily smiled. Her new home. She liked the sound of that.

"I'm really enjoying it so far," she answered. "Well, I promise you're going to love in no time," he said. "I'm sure I will too," she replied, but secretly she was worried. She wanted to tell him why but she didn't have the courage.

"Well, good night, Tommy," she said. "Shh! Don't say that, the others might hear you," Thomas panicked. Emily just giggled and went to sleep.

Thomas watched her fall asleep and sighed quietly. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her. The love he harbored inside him. "Give it some time," he said to himself. He took one last look at her before he felt himself falling asleep. He knew he was going to enjoy living with Emily from now on.

* * *

I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out. As for next chapter...uhh. Don't expect the next chapter for quite a while, I going to take my time with it. I apologize in advance for the wait but hopefully it will be worth the wait.

In other news, Season 19 has been released. Well only 6 episodes but still from those episodes we're in for another incredible season. Let me know what you think about this chapter and Season 19 so far and I will see you all next chapter.


	9. Anger and Betrayal

Thomas was at the quarry. He had been helping Mavis while the workmen were blasting rock and it was now nearing nightfall. However he had far more important things on his mind than his work. He was thinking about Emily. It had been nearly two and a half years since she moved into Tidmouth Sheds and Thomas had hoped that Emily would stop being bossy, especially after the time he stayed with her in Knapford Sheds, but unfortunately she didn't. In fact, she got even worse.

First, she made fun of a new engine called Molly for pulling empty trucks. Then, she made fun of Thomas going too slow and made him ruin is milk delivery. After that she insulted another new engine called Neville when she thought he was going to bump the steamies. Then, she pretended she was a queen and made Percy take trucks on her line, which resulted in a huge crash when Percy ran into Mavis and caused Toby to hit a fallen telephone pole. Sometime after that she insulted Diesel by saying there was nothing special about him and he was only smelly, which ended up in a wild goose chase after Diesel had stolen the special coaches she was meant to collect for Gordon. And only recently she made fun of Thomas again for believing in one of Salty's stories about a hidden pirate treasure.

Thomas sighed sadly to himself. It always hurt him inside whenever he thought about the things Emily did to the other engines. That wasn't the Emily he knew when she first arrived on Sodor. She was sweet, selfless, caring and motherly and like a big sister and she had the most amazing smile in the world. That was the Emily he wanted and the one he fell in love with. But instead she was becoming the opposite more and more as time went on. And the one thing he constantly kept asking himself was; why?

Why was Emily acting like this? Why just why? That was all he so desperately wanted to know. He couldn't think of any explanation at all as to why she changed all of a sudden. Maybe there was someone else behind it? Maybe someone else was responsible for making Emily change? Oh what was he thinking, that was stupid. No one on the island was cruel enough to do something like that, well maybe some of the diesels, but something was telling Thomas that wasn't the case.

He sighed sadly again. He loved Emily so much and it made him so sad seeing what she had become. He felt a very familar sensation in his boiler. The same sensation he felt when Emily first arrived on the island. The same sensation that made him feel so happy and content whenever he thought about her. The last time he felt the incredible sensation around Emily was when she moved in with him and that was nearly two and a half years ago. Now though that sensation was bringing him nothing but pain and sadness.

He wondered if there was something she was hiding from him. If there was something causing her to act the way she was, why didn't she tell him. He told her loads of times that she could always trust him and tell him anything and that he would always help her. But she didn't. He felt as though Emily couldn't trust him for some reason. After all they had been through why couldn't she tell him what was wrong?

Memories of all the happy times they had shared together flooded back to him. Their time at the Steamworks where they shared old stories with each other. The night at Black Loch was the one of the best nights of his life, he told Emily she was the most beautiful engine he had ever seen, to this day he still meant every single word he said to her that night. But of course, the main reason why Thomas loved that night was because he finally realized that he loved her.

Then there was the time he stayed with her at Knapford Sheds, though at first Emily didn't like his company, which upsetted him more than he had let it on to be. He felt even more betrayed by her when she said she didn't want him in her shed. So the night after he stayed in a siding, but he missed her so much. However when he returned to the shed the following night he learned how sad, guilty and lonely Emily felt without him. Thomas couldn't be upset about what she had said, but instead he felt an overwhelming guilt for making her feel so lonely. He forgived her at once and they shared a quiet and happy night staring at the stars. After that Emily moved into Tidmouth Sheds and that was the last time they had shared any special moments together. After that everything went further down hill.

She didn't even call him 'Tommy' anymore. While he wasn't really too fond of that name, it was her special name for him. She loved calling him that, usually just to annoy him, but it made her happy. The last time she called him Tommy was the night she moved into Tidmouth. There were even some points were Thomas would really hope she would call him Tommy. It dawned on him that without Emily calling him that for such a long time, he realized how much he missed it and how much he actually really liked that name. He missed everything he loved about her basically. He just sighed sadder than ever, as some small tears ran down his face.

Mavis rolled up beside Thomas and saw how sad he looked. "Thomas, is everything alright?"

Thomas looked over at the kind diesel. "No," he said quietly. "I've been thinking about Emily and how she's changed." He sighed as he carried on. "I mean when she first came here she was the nicest engine on Sodor, she always looked out for everyone and put everyone else before her. Now though she's...she's changed. But why?" That was all he wanted to know.

"I don't know Thomas," said Mavis. "I wondered that myself. But why are you so concerned about it?"

Thomas sighed. He had never told this to anyone except Annie and Clarabel. "Please promise you won't tell this to anyone."

"Promise."

"Well...it's just...I like Emily more than a friend," he whispered, blushing slightly. "And I just want her to go back to normal," he added sadly.

Mavis was surprised. She never expected that Thomas would have any sort of romantic interests in someone. "I'm sure there might be a reason for all this Thomas, but sometimes people just change and that's probably what happened to Emily," she said. "Your secret's safe with me." And he she rolled away.

Thomas didn't feel any better after that. He felt as though he had been a terrible friend to Emily, that it was all his fault for her changing. He just sighed once again and got back to work. Unfortunately for him things were going to get worse. 'Arry and Bert, who were also working at the quarry had overheard the conversation and saw this as a perfect opportunity to have some fun.

Thomas heard two low horns, one either side of him. "Aw that's all I need," he groaned quietly. One aside of him, the mischievous pair of diesels pulled up along side him. Their smirks spread across their faces, leaving no doubt in Thomas' mind that they had some ideas sizzling away. "Thomas...what were you talking to Mavis about, I wonder..."

"None of your business; now go away, I'm busy." Thomas had no interest in defending herself against the two diesels today; he simply was not in the mood.

"Aww...poor little Thomas needs to be all alone. Getting depressed are we?"

"I said it's none of your business now get lost." Thomas was started to get annoyed very quickly.

"Your "girlfriend" Emily is so silly," Bert said suddenly. "She once got covered in flour. What a mess, eh 'Arry?"

"Or what about the time she pulled the express Bert? She made a right bog of that didn't she!"

"Which bit specifically 'Arry? How she left the brake coach behind, or how she forgot Bertie's passengers or how she ran out of water!"

Both diesels laughed heartily, remembering when Emily had bumped some flour trucks into a pond and got covered in flour, and remembering Emily's first time pulling the express. Thomas seethed with deep fury – now the twins were crossing a line; they had no right to talk about Emily like that. They could make fun of him as much as they liked, but he would not let them put down Emily like that, especially when he was so worried about her.

"You take that back. You take it back NOW."

The twins looked at Thomas' glowering visage, and simply roared with laughter. Thomas fumed and started grinding his teeth, the sadness he felt was turning into intense anger unlike any he had ever felt before, hatred like no other, as the twins laughed, unaware of the impending danger that would fall on them for messing with Thomas in his current emotionally state. "W-Why should we? We're just being honest!"

"Take it back. Now." Thomas was literally trembling with fury and rage, incredibly upset and hurting for his love. He knew Emily made some foolish mistakes in the past but that didn't detract from his love for her in the slightest - he had made plenty of mistakes like that - in fact hearing their insults about her only made his love for her stronger, he knew she had changed into something he didn't want her to be, but right now that didn't matter, he loved her and he was not going to let the twins get away with this. The sound of the twins' laughter made him so angry that his steam pressure rose dramatically and his safety valves actually lifted, causing his driver to quickly make adjustments and try to control his engine.

The foolish diesels, however, saw none of this – they were busy laughing. "Strange how ordinary people can turn criminals," 'Arry said suddenly.

"It's the evil inside them that suddenly comes out 'Arry."

"At first she may have seemed harmless but in actuality she's an evil, criminal mastermind who craves destruction and chaos. After all, how else could she have caused that huge crash at the Ruined Castle? Done purely for her twisted self-satisfaction."

"Only a truly evil, ruthless and heartless monster could plan such a devastating calamity, just so she could satisfy her own diabolical needs for havoc and making others suffer."

"Shut UP! SHUT UP NOW!" Thomas raged and fumed at the two diesels, incredibly hurt and angered by their words against his love, as more tears come out of his eyes and he started grinding his teeth.

"He can't a joke, have you noticed that Bert?" 'Arry teased.

"Always has to be so serious, doesn't he 'Arry?" Bert laughed as they rolled over to where the men were blasting. Their plan of working Thomas up had worked like dream. Although, they would soon live to regret it...

Thomas said nothing as he backed away, arranging some trucks. The two diesels' calls and hollering after him rang within him, but he did not notice – he was busy. Carefully he arranged a long train of fully-loaded stone trucks onto 'Arry and Bert's line were the men were preparing for another blast.

Normally, Thomas knew that what he was about to do was incredibly wrong and senseless – but at the moment, his anger, his hatred, his sadness, as well as his passion and concern for Emily overrode his common sense and decency. Now the twins would suffer the consequences for toying with his emotions and teasing Emily... they would not tease his love any more…

Thomas rolled back to get more distance, then he changed forward at full speed. Then Thomas suddenly stopped abruptly and the fully-loaded trucks surged on bumping into the back of Bert and pushed him right into the back of 'Arry, sending them past the danger signs and knocking them and the trucks of the tracks, just as the explosives went off sending hundreds of huge rocks down the cliff and onto the tracks. The drivers had jumped clear but The Grim Messengers of Doom were soon completely buried in the ongoing avalanche.

Mavis, who had seen what had happened, was horrified. "Thomas! What have you done?!"

But Thomas was already far away from the quarry. He didn't hold any regrets whatsoever, those two diesels deserved everything that happened to them and then some.

His mind was made up. "Emily...no matter what it takes I'm going to find out what's going on with you and I'm going to help you go back to normal. Mark my words!"

* * *

Word quickly got round about what Thomas had done at the quarry. All the engines were talking about it. All of the engines except Emily. She had been up at Vicarstown and hadn't heard the news. Although she wasn't really in the mood for any gossip.

She was an emotional wreak. Ever since she moved into Tidmouth Sheds her life had become worse and worse each day. Every morning she dreaded having to leave the sheds, in constant fear of what she would do the others. Sometimes she would have nightmares about tormenting the other engines, but the worst nightmares of all were the ones about Thomas. Countless times she would wake up in the middle of the night, the nightmares were so scary and realistic that she couldn't go back to sleep, which in turn made her crankier than Cranky the Crane and caused her to be mean to the other engines. All she wanted was to have her old life back, but no instead she was tormented night and day, turning into a monster each day, filled with nothing but deep regret and sadness for all the wrongs she had done.

She puffed quietly back into Knapford Yards and stopped in an empty siding where no one would see her. She wished she could just fade away. Why couldn't she just have a simple, happy and carefree life? Why did she have to be constantly be bullied and scared?

"Tommy..." she muttered to herself. She hadn't called him that in two and a half years. She sighed sadly. She loved him so much, even after everything she had done she still couldn't understand how he could still treat her like a friend, especially after what she did to him and the other engines. She started to weep. "Tommy...I'm so sorry...for everything..." She wanted him to comfort her, tell her everything will be alright. But after everything she had done, did she really deserve his comfort and kindness?

She suddenly heard voices coming from the yards. "Did you hear about the accident up the quarry?"

"Aye we did Percy. Sure the whole island knows," said Donald.

"Well, we cannae say any one was expecting it, that's for sure," Douglas added.

"Especially 'Arry and Bert. They got the worst of it, so we hear. Better them than anyone else," Donald remarked.

Emily was surprised. "'Arry and Bert were in an accident at the quarry?" she mumbled to herself. How could she have not heard about this. She listened closely.

"Well now, I take it you three are talking about the accident up at the quarry, mind you I'm hardly surprised, the whole island's talking about it," said Edward.

"The question we should be asking," said Henry, "is how did the accident occur, and more importantly why did it happen?"

The engines didn't know what to think. Then Percy spoke up. "Wasn't Thomas working at the quarry this evening?"

Emily gasped with worry. Was Thomas involved in the accident? Was he alright? _"Please let him be OK,"_ she thought.

"Ye think maybe he saw what happened?" asked Douglas.

"It's possible," said Edward.

Just then Toby came rushing into the yards. "Have you heard about-"

"YES!" the engines said in unison.

"O-oh," Toby stuttered, "well anyway, Mavis said she saw what caused it. Thomas pushed a fully-loaded train into 'Arry and Bert and they crashed into the blast zone and they were severely damaged in the landslide!"

The engines gasped, they could not believe what they had heard. Emily in particular was in utter disbelief. "_It can't be,_" she thought to herself. "_That can't be true, Thomas would never do something like that, this has to be a mistake!_"

"Are you serious?" asked Henry.

"Of course I'm serious, Mavis saw the whole thing. She said Thomas bashed 'Arry and Bert into the danger zone and he just left the quarry without a word."

"That doesn't sound like Thomas," said Percy, he was worried.

"Well who else could've caused it? Thomas was the only other engine there," Toby retorted. "Although, Mavis did say that before the landslide occurred, he was really upset about something to do with Emily. She even said he was actually crying about it," he added. Emily was very surprised. "_Thomas crying?_" she thought to herself. _"Because of me?_" Was it because of her changing her ways, was he upset because of that? So upset that he was crying? If so, then was she the one who made him cause the accident?

"That definitively doesn't sound like Thomas," said Percy, even more worryingly, "Thomas never cries about anything."

"Something is definitely up," concluded Edward. "Why would Thomas randomly decide to do such a thing like that because he was upset? And what does this have to do with Emily?"

"I think we're about to find out, there he is now," said Donald.

Thomas puffed into the yards looking very serious. He knew what the consequences for his actions were, but he was going to help Emily no matter what it took, not even the Fat Controller was going to stop him from finding out the truth.

As he rolled to a stop, he was greeted by stares from the other engines, which admittedly Thomas found to be a bit uncomfortable.

"Thomas, what have you been up too?" Edward asked.

"Nothing," Thomas replied, he was still in a bad mood after leaving the quarry and wasn't interested in any small talk.

"Don't give us any of that cack!" shouted Donald.

"We know what ye did up at the quarry!" Douglas shouted.

"What on earth were you thinking Thomas?" Henry asked.

"Why did you do it Thomas?" Percy asked nervously.

Thomas let out a deep sigh of frustration. They weren't going to let this drop. "Alright...I'll tell you why I did it." The anger in his voice made everyone feel unsettled. "Those smelly, ungrateful, heartless, disgraceful, disgusting, despicable, insensitive monsters made cruel and wicked jokes and remarks about Emily being a mean cold and horrible engine, so I gave them the full extent of my hate and anger and gave them the punishment they've deserved for far too many years!"

The engines could not believe what they had heard. Emily in particular was in disbelief. "_Thomas caused that accident because of what 'Arry and Bert said about me? He did that just to defend me?_" That wasn't the Thomas she knew, the Thomas she knew was so kind and cheerful and hated violence and would never cause such a serious accident deliberately, even if it was for a friend.

"Well...they weren't completely far off," Donald said suddenly. Everyone was startled by that.

"What did you say?" Thomas said, the anger in his voice growing stronger, making everyone feel scared.

"Well," Donald said nervously, "it's just that, you know, she's not exactly been the most kindly engine has she? I mean just look at all she's done over the years, she's been nothing but a muckle nuisance."

"Aye, she's more trouble than she's worth, always bossing us about, thinking she's some kind of queen who thinks she knows better than everyone else. She's in way over her over-sized wheels that's what she is," said Douglas, agreeing with his twin.

Those words hit Emily like a runaway train. Her fears were coming true, everyone was betraying her, they only saw her as a big mean bossy boiler who nobody wanted. Her eyes started to water up again as she felt nothing but betrayal.

Thomas on the other hand felt nothing but anger. "How could you say that?!" he shouted. "Think about all the kind and helpful things she has done for when she first arrived here."

"Yeah, when she first arrived, then a few months later she turned into a troublemaker. Name one decent thing she's done for anyone since then?" Douglas demanded.

"She gave Diesel a new engine, even after he stole Gordon's special coaches from her. Yes she insulted him but she made up for it and did the right thing afterwards by helping Diesel when he needed it," Thomas retorted.

Emily couldn't believe what Thomas was saying. Even after all the horrible things she had done, he still believed there was still good in her. But Donald and Douglas weren't fully convinced.

"That maybe so, but still that one incident doesn't cover up everything else she's done, Thomas," Donald remarked.

Then Toby spoke up. "I'm going to have to agree with Donald and Douglas."

Thomas could not believe what he was hearing. "What?!"

"I agree, Emily has become a bit of a nuisance. She caused me, Percy and Mavis to have that accident up at the castle because she got all puffed up in her smokebox thinking she could actually lead. She'd need to learn common sense before she could lead anything." Emily gasped again. Toby had just called her ditz. It wasn't over yet.

"I have to agree as well," Henry joined in, "She made fun of Molly on her first day just because she had empty trucks. And not to mention she ruined your milk delivery Thomas by making you race her, and she made fun of you for believing in a pirate treasure and didn't even say sorry for calling you silly. If you ask me she's as good as gone."

The harshness of Henry's words made Emily burst into tears as she remembered laughing at Molly for pulling empties when it was only her first day on the island, and ruining Thomas' special and calling him stupid for believing in a treasure and not even apologizing for it. Everyone was turning against her. She just kept crying more and more.

"You're wrong, you're all wrong!" Thomas shouted in denial. "She was the only one who believed you when your tubes were leaking, Henry! Doesn't that mean something to you? She helped you and this is how you thank her? By completely turning against her?! I know the old Emily is still there, I know she is! Come on, Percy tell them."

Percy didn't know what to say. He was terrified. Terrified of his best friend. Thomas was never this angry or scary before.

"S-she threw you out of her shed, Thomas," he said nervously.

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING THAT UP!" Thomas roared, terrifying absolutely everyone in the yard, especially Percy, who had never felt so scared in his whole life. But no one felt more scared than Emily. She could feel Thomas' anger growing stronger and stronger with each second as he had now completely lost control of his emotions, as he tried to defend her.

Tears began to form in Thomas' eyes. "If you had any idea of how guilty Emily was after saying those things to me, then you would see why this means so much to me. Ever since that night, I've spent every single day thinking that I'm the one responsible for making her do all those things because I've been a horrible friend to her by not doing anything to help her. I know Emily feels guilty for everything she's done, there's no way she would never enjoy doing those things. She has a heart that's bigger than any other engine on this island and I know she's sorry for everything! Can't you see that this isn't who she is? Emily is NOT a monster!" He shouted, his anger and sadness had reached it's peak as his tears began to fall.

Emily's heart finally shattered into a million pieces when she saw Thomas crying. This must have been what he was crying about earlier. All the pain and sadness he felt was all because of her. She couldn't listen to anymore of this.

"If she's so guilty, then why hasn't she stopped acting like that!" Douglas snapped.

Thomas glared at Douglas and then looked over to Edward. "Come on Edward, you have to agree with me," he weeped.

Edward looked at Thomas. He had seen Thomas sad many times since they first met, but this was something different all together. Thomas was completely lost in his emotions, his anger, his hate, his rage, his sorrow and his guilt had taken control of him and he couldn't contain them. Edward wanted to agree with Thomas, he knew that Emily wouldn't enjoy all the bad things she had done, but the sad fact was that she had done too much damage to her reputation.

So with great regret, Edward looked sadly away. "I'm sorry, Thomas..." he said quietly.

Thomas looked in despair. Edward was always someone that Thomas could trust and rely on for support whenever he needed it, but now even he had deserted him. Everyone had given up hope on Emily. Just when he felt his emotions were about to spiral even further out of control, all of a sudden, Emily emerged from her hiding place, balling her eyes out, and raced away from Thomas, the others, and the yards as fast as she could.

Everyone was very surprised. "Emily!" Thomas shouted and blew his whistle loudly after her. Emily heard Thomas but she didn't stop. She just kept crying and puffed faster and faster away from the yards. Then Thomas gasped, as he suddenly realized everything. "Oh no, she heard everything!"

"E-eh, listen Thomas, w-we didn't really mean any of that-" Donald stuttered, trying to take back what they said. "Shut up!" shouted Thomas. "This is all your fault!" Then the engines heard a loud booming voice heading toward them. "Thomas! Stay right where you are!" shouted the Fat Controller.

But Thomas ignored the Fat Controller, he pumped his pistons and raced out of the yards after Emily, he had to stop her. "Thomas! Come back here at once!" The Fat Controller boomed, but Thomas simply blew steam, covering up the yards. When the smoke cleared Thomas was all ready out of the yards.

"I have to find Emily! I have to learn the truth!" He raced after her as fast as his pistons could pump. He couldn't let her get away, he would search for her all night until he finally got the answers he was looking for. He wouldn't stop until Emily was finally saved from herself.

* * *

Part 1 complete! It's almost here folks, the truth about Emily is finally going to be revealed next chapter. Originally suppose to be one complete chapter, I decided to split it into two chapters since you guys waited long enough. Let me know what you think of this chapter and stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon. Rate and review!


	10. The Truth Beneath the Emerald

Emily didn't look back, she just ran away as fast as she could. Everything she feared had come true. Her friends had betrayed her because of how she had been acting and now they thought she was nothing but a nuisance. But the worst thing of all was seeing Thomas' emotions getting the better of him. She could feel the anger and sadness he felt and she knew it was all her fault.

Eventually she came to a stop at the junction which led onto the Misty Valley Branch Line. She knew Thomas was probably chasing after her, he was fast but she was much faster than him, so he was probably miles away from her. Emily started crying once again. Her life was ruined. She could never go back to her old self, no one would ever forgive her and she would always be considered an outcast. And it was all because of those two engines she hated with a vengeance. The ones who turned her into what she was now.

"Well..." said a voice, "look what we have here, James, such a tragic sight if ever I saw one."

"Quite heartbreaking isn't it, Gordon?"

Emily's sad expression turned into one of sheer anger and hate. "Bog off!" she shouted.

The two big engines laughed. "You hear that, Gordon, the steamroller also speaks Russian."

Emily's scowl grew bigger and bigger. "...This is all your fault..." she said darkly. Gordon and James stopped laughing when they heard her dark tone, in fact, it made them feel a little scared.

"Because of you two I was forced to abandon my old happy life...because of you two I was forced to change into a horrible good-for-nothing engine...because of you two I constantly fear each and every day because of your relentless bullying...because of YOU TWO everyone has turned against me!" Emily roared, she was literally trembling with rage and her voice sounded like there was venom oozing out of her. "My life has been completely ruined and it's all your fault! You two are the meanest, most insensitive engines in the world and I HATE YOU!" And with that she raced away down the branch line, leaving Gordon and James utterly speechless.

As Emily puffed down the Misty Valley Branch Line she knew she would never regret what she said to Gordon and James, they deserved it. They had bullied her for far too long - not just her, they had bullied many engines in the past - she had been holding back her hate and anger for years and now that she had gotten that out of smokebox she didn't feel sorry about it. Instead she chuffed as fast as she could down the dark track. There was only one place where she could be at a time like this. The place where she discovered the most precious thing she had in her life.

Meanwhile Thomas was racing down the line, trying to find Emily. He was determined to find her no matter what it took. He thought back to what the other engines said about Emily, he couldn't believe that they had given up hope and thought that Emily had changed for good. The fact that Emily had heard everything they said made him feel even worse.

"This is all my fault! Why didn't I ask her what was wrong earlier? I could have stopped all of this!" he said. He knew that the Fat Controller was going to have some stern words for him once he found him, but Thomas didn't care, helping Emily was far more important to him. He would accept whatever punishment the Fat Controller gave him after he had helped Emily.

The only problem was he had no idea where she was. He had looked down every side track and the Main Line but he couldn't find her anywhere.

At last Thomas found Gordon and James. "_Hopefully they've seen her,_" he thought. "Hey, have you two seen Emily?"

"Ey up, what's this we hear about you causing that accident up at the quarry?" Gordon asked, ignoring Thomas' question.

"We heard you caused quite a lot of damage to those smelly diesels. I must admit, I never thought you had it in you to do something like that. I'm actually kind of impressed," said James.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, have you seen Emily?" Thomas asked again, he was really not in the mood for any more small talk tonight.

"Ooh, someone's being demanding. Causes a riot at the quarry and now he thinks he can go about demanding others to tell him everything-"

"Have you seen Emily?!" shouted Thomas, now he was really on the brink of losing his patience.

"All right, all right, calm down, yes we've seen her," replied James. "Mind you," Gordon grunted, "she was far from anything cheerful. The nerve she had saying such absurd lies about us, right to our faces."

Thomas eyed them suspiciously. "What do mean 'absurd lies'?"

"She thinks we 'ruined her life' and turned her into 'a horrible good-for-nothing engine' who everyone has turned their backs on her. What rubbish!" snorted Gordon.

Thomas wondered if what Gordon said was true. "_Ruined her life?_" he thought to himself. Were Gordon and James the ones responsible for making her change.

"And then," James added, "she goes on to call us 'the meanest and most insensitive engines in the world' and says she hates us. When have we ever been mean and insensitive to anyone?"

"Exactly," said Gordon. "She's full of nothing but hot air."

But Thomas wasn't so sure. He thought about what they had said to him and the more he thought about it the more everything started to make sense. A few months after Emily arrived on Sodor, Thomas noticed that there seemed to be some sort of tension going on between her and the two big engines. She was able to get along with everyone except Gordon and James. They very rarely if ever got on with each other and Emily always seemed to feel nervous or under pressure sometimes when they were close by and not only that they never gave her any encouragement at all.

When she had to pull the express instead of Gordon, he straight up told her she was guarantied to fail. Not only that when she scared herself and Thomas with a tarpaulin, he was relentless with really harsh insults, so much that she ran away in tears. And when Emily had to collect Gordon's special coaches for setting a new record, he didn't thank her at all.

James was the one who told her about the Black Loch monster, which put her under a lot of pressure and as a result she made too many mistakes and had to do the Black Loch run. Of course there was no monster, but it seemed James purposefully told Emily that story just so he could scare her. He also made fun of her as well on Halloween. And on the night Emily moved into Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas noticed Gordon and James sniggering quietly to each other and Emily felt uneasy.

Then it all became clear to Thomas. How could he have not seen it. Emily's sudden change must have been because of all the things Gordon and James said to her. She must have thought that by changing her ways she would be able to defend herself against them and stop them from making fun of her, but it didn't work and she kept getting teased by them, which made her become bossier and bossier as time went on.

Thomas began to feel his anger building up once again. How could they have done such things to her, they had bullied him and lots of other engines over the years, but never had they ever stooped so low and caused something like this. 'Arry and Bert's cruel jokes about Emily may have driven Thomas over the edge, but even their unforgivable teasing didn't compare to the incredible hate and anger he felt right now. All of the pain, sadness, fear and regret his love felt for so many years was all because of them. There was no excuse for this whatsoever, what did Emily ever do to them to deserve such pain and suffering? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!

"Where is she?" he asked angrily. "Where did she go?!"

For the second time that night, Gordon and James were a little frightened, they never thought that Thomas of all engines could get somewhat threatening. "E-eh..." they stuttered.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" roared Thomas.

"S-she went down the Misty Valley line," James replied quietly. Before he could say anything else Thomas had already raced away, leaving them in a cloud of steam.

Now that he finally had some idea about what was going on, Thomas was now more determined than ever to put an end to this madness. He would have given Gordon and James a much more vulgar telling off, but right now all that mattered to him was finding Emily.

At last he reached the junction and ran down the branch line. First he ran through Callan Station, but he couldn't see her there, so he decided to look in the goods yard, but to no avail. So Thomas went further down the line until he reached Callan Pond, where he once crashed into an old rail barge, but he still didn't find her. Then he came to Misty Valley, which unfortunately for Thomas, was living up to it's name. Luckily for him though, Cryil the Fogman had placed fog detonators on the track, so he knew to puff carefully. Thomas was grateful that there wasn't a foghorn anymore, otherwise he probably would've crashed into another landslide. Because of the fog, Thomas could hardly see anything in front of him. He was relived once he was out of the valley and he could see clearly again.

Finally he arrived at Lord Callan's Castle, but to his dismay, Emily was nowhere to be seen. "Where is she?" he asked. He had been down the entire branch line, so where could she be? Thomas sighed sadly. Was there somewhere he forgot to check? He started from Callan and made his way to the end of the branch line at Callan Castle, or whatever you want to call it, there were so many names for it. Callan Castle, the Scottish Castle, Castle Loch-

"Loch?...Black Loch! That's it! How could I have forgotten?!" Whistling loudly, Thomas quickly reversed back to a junction. His fireman switched the points, and he raced down the Black Loch line. If Emily wasn't there then there was no way he would be able to find her.

* * *

Black Loch was quiet and peaceful. The moon was full and shone brightly, it's light reflecting against the calm water. It was truly a beautiful sight. And parked beside the water's edge was Emily. Her eyes were red from crying so much and her running-plate was covered in tears. All she could do was remember all of the horrible things she had done over the years.

When the storm had blown Farmer McColl's barn roof off, she just bossed everyone around, thinking they weren't doing a good job clearing up the railway, and she didn't thank anyone for helping her. She knew how to use her manners so why didn't she?

Why on earth did she make fun of Molly? It was her first day on Sodor, she made fun of her pulling empty trucks. What was she thinking? Every engine pulls empty trucks, she pulled hundreds of empty trucks, why would she ever make fun of someone because of that? Of course she tried to apologize to Molly afterwards but Molly refused to listen to her. She hated Emily ever since.

Then there was that dreadful crash she had caused. Why did she think she could be a queen? If she had used her common sense and just stayed out of the way then the whole disaster would never have happened. But no, she had to be a ditz and think she knew best and made Percy run on her line and crash into Mavis and made Toby crash as well, all because she was so stupid. She sometimes would have nightmares about causing more accidents like that and each and everyone of those nightmares were about Thomas and he always said he hated her, which broke her heart.

After that she got into an argument with Diesel, when she called him smelly and didn't think he was special. Why did she do that? She knew steamies and diesels were arch rivals, but insulting them would only make things worse and it would make her even worse. Then Diesel stole the special coaches she was meant to collect for Gordon. In truth she didn't even want the job in the first place, anything to with Gordon, the engine responsible for her turning into a monster, she hated. Sure she may have given Diesel a new engine, like the real her would do, she still felt awful for it, even though what Diesel did was selfish.

But none of those things even compared to how guilty she felt for all the things she had done to Thomas.

While he may have forgiven her for the snowplough incident and the unforgivable things she said to him when they shared her shed, she still hadn't recovered from the incredible guilt she felt for doing those things, especially when she said she hated sharing her shed with him. To this day that was still the worst thing she had ever done.

But after she moved into Tidmouth Sheds, she made fun of him for being slow when taking milk to the dairy, even though it was the right, and most sensible thing for him to do, and as a result she ended up ruining his delivery, all because she had to open her big gob and laugh at him for no reason. And only a few weeks ago she made fun of him again for believing Salty's story about a pirate treasure. Why did she think he was silly? Because she was worried that if she didn't then James would bully her again. Truthfully she wanted Thomas to find the treasure so that he could prove James wrong, and she was so glad when he did. But what made her feel so sorry about those incidents was she didn't apologize to him for either of them.

"Thomas..." She looked over to her left, hoping to see him beside her...just like the night they shared here years ago. She looked at the water, god it was so beautiful...the moon shining over it, the stars twinkling and fireflies floating gently in the air, shining their small yet beautiful glow. She had to admit, tonight Black Loch was more beautiful than it was the night she was there with Thomas. She wished everything could always be like this. A world with nothing to fear, a world where she could be at peace, just her and Thomas together on this spot...holding each other closely, gazing into their eyes and expressing their love. But then she sighed again, as she knew that was probably never going to happen.

_"And trust me, if you ever feel scared or you need any help, know that I'll always be there for you."_

Emily weeped again as she remembered what Thomas had said to her. She wanted to tell him about Gordon and James bullying her, but she didn't because she was too scared to tell him. Which was a huge mistake.

She thought back to when she was in the yard and everyone was turning against her and how angry Thomas was. She never thought that someone so adorable could ever be so scary, but what made her feel worse was seeing Thomas get so emotional, trying to defend her.

_"If you had any idea of how guilty Emily was after saying those things to me, then you would see why this means so much to me. Ever since that night, I've spent every single day thinking I'm the one responsible for making her do all those things because I've been a horrible friend to her by not doing anything to help her. I know Emily feels guilty for everything she's done, there's no way she would never enjoy doing those things. She has a heart that's bigger than any other engine on this island and I know she's sorry for everything. Can't you see that this isn't who she is?_ _Emily is NOT a monster!"_

That was the first time Emily had ever seen Thomas crying and it was all because of everything she had done, to the point where he blamed himself for making her do all of it. She started to cry again herself. If only she had told him about Gordon and James, then none of this would have happened. He must've thought that she couldn't trust him and all the sadness he felt was because he felt betrayed by her. He must have been holding it all in for over two and a half years, that sadness had turned into anger and he had finally let it all out on 'Arry and Bert. She may not have known any specific details of the accident, but judging by everyone talking about it and how angry Thomas sounded, it was certainly very severe. But again, all of the anger and sadness Thomas must have felt over the years was because she didn't tell him what was wrong and she kept doing more and more terrible things.

"Thomas..." she weeped, "...I'm so sorry...for everything." She closed her eyes as the tears kept coming.

Her eyes suddenly opened when she heard a distinctive puffing noise. Someone was coming towards her. "H-hello?" she called and blew her whistle. The puffing got louder and nearer, then she heard a whistle she knew all to well. "Thomas?" She heard the whistle again and coming around the bend was none other than Thomas.

"Emily!" he cried. "Thank goodness, I've finally found you!" His relief was short lived when he saw the state she was in. Her red eyes and tear stained running-plate. He could tell she had been crying a lot and seeing her like this was heartbreaking to him.

Emily couldn't look at him. "What are you doing here, Thomas?" she sobbed quietly.

Thomas was surprised. "Because I was worried about you and I want to help you."

"...Help me?"

"I know you heard what me and the others said in the yard..." he sighed, as more tears ran down Emily's face. "...and that's why I want to help you."

"...I don't deserve you're help Thomas..." she weeped. Thomas was surprised. "Everything that the others said about me is true...I'm nothing but a nuisance. All I've done is cause confusion and upset you and everyone else by bossing you all around and making fun of you..."

Thomas was quiet for a moment. "It's because of Gordon and James, isn't it?" he said suddenly. Emily looked startled. "How did you know?" she asked.

Thomas was quiet again. "...I ran into them when I was looking for you. They told me what you said to them...so I put all the pieces together and I was able to get an idea of what was going on...they bullied you. They bullied you to the point where you had to take action. You thought that by trying to bully them back it would stop them. But it didn't, and they still kept bullying you. You were scared and angry so you started bossing others about, even though you didn't want to. You wanted to stop but as time went on they kept bullying you and you kept being bossy because you were so sad and afraid. Am I right?"

Emily didn't say anything. The look on her face said it all. She had finally been found out, there was nothing she could do to hide it any longer. She had no choice but to accept defeat.

"...Yes..." she mumbled as more tears ran down her face. "It's true..."

Thomas couldn't bare to watch her cry, he had to know exactly how all of this started. But also he had to know why she never told him. "Emily, why didn't you tell me? I told you I would always be there to help you."

This was the moment Emily had been dreading. He had given her his trust and she had chosen to decline it. "...Because I was scared. I was scared that if I did then they would keep bullying me about it and everyone else would start bullying me as well, for being a goody-goody tell-tale. Believe me, Thomas I wanted to tell you more than anything, I wanted you to put an end to all this. I'm sorry, Thomas, I'm so sorry for not telling you what was wrong and making you worry about me. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you and everyone else who I've upset and never meant for any of this to ever happen. I'm truly so sorry!" and with that, yet another tremendous torrent of tears ran down her face, but this time it was stronger than ever before, all of the tears making the pool on her running-plate bigger and bigger with each passing second as she gave Thomas apology after apology.

"S-sorry! I'm s-s-so sorry, T-Thomas! Please forgive me!" Emily wailed as she kept crying and crying. "Shh...it's alright, Emily," hushed Thomas...to no avail. "I never wanted it to go this far, Thomas! Please don't be mad!" Emily continued to apologize, cry, sob and hiccup in her regret and sadness, to the point that her tears were overflowing her running-plate, creating a creak flowing into the lake with the sound of a river.

Rolling slowly towards her, Thomas gently pressed his buffers against hers. This motion made Emily hiccup and look up at him. The look in Thomas' eyes was not one of anger or hate - rather it was one of sorrow and regret, but also of care, concern and sympathy...Emily trembled from the deep emotions she was seeing in his eyes.

"Emily...I'm not mad at you for everything you've done and I'm not mad at you for not telling me what was wrong, I never was. I was just worried for you. I knew you were sorry for everything, but I felt as though you didn't have enough trust in me. As more time passed I felt really guilty for not asking you sooner and you wouldn't have had to suffer for all these years." His eyes started to tear up. "I feel like I've been a terrible friend to you."

"No!" Emily wailed, "No, none of this is your fault, Thomas, all of this is my fault. Please don't blame yourself. You're the closest friend I've ever had and I couldn't bare to lose you."

At last Thomas couldn't hold back his tears and let them fall down his face. "Emily...you don't deserve any of this. I told you I would always be here for you if you ever needed any help and I'm sticking to my promise. I'm staying by your side and I won't leave until this is over. Please tell me how this all started..."

Emily looked into his eyes, she could see how much he cared for her and how worried he was about her. The concern in his eyes and the sincerity in his voice and the tenderness of his hold on her made her feel safe and she could feel her love for him growing stronger. She let one more tear run down her face. "All right, Thomas...I'll tell you how it started...no more hiding...you'll hear everything..."

* * *

It had been almost half a year since Emily had arrived on the Island of Sodor and she had done her best to try and befriend all the engines. She had managed to win over most of the engines with her friendly personality, but the two engines she had the most trouble trying to befriend were Gordon and James.

Now the reason why she had difficulties trying to befriend them was because the three engines never really had any interactions with each other. In fact Gordon and James didn't really seem to be aware of Emily's presence most of the time.

One day, Emily had puffed into Knapford Station to collect some passengers when she saw that Gordon was there too. She thought this would be a good time to finally talk to them. "Hello," she whistled cheerfully. But she didn't receive the friendly reply she had expected.

"Goodness gracious! What cheek, who do you think you are, whistling disrespectfully to engine of my caliber?" He roared.

"I was just saying hello," Emily replied, surprised by his outburst.

Gordon grunted and looked over at her. "Huh! Just what I would suspect from someone with no dome. Never trust domeless engines, they're not respectable!" and he steamed out of the station in a huff.

Emily was left feeling insulted. "How dare he call me not respectable! There's nothing wrong with not having a dome," she pouted. "Thomas was right, he is a big bossy boiler!"

Later that day Emily was near the washdown. James had just finished being cleaned. Emily hoped that she would have a better experience with him than Gordon.

James was simmering smugly with pride, as per usual whenever he had a wash down. He then saw the attractive female engine nearby and decided to put on the charm. "Well hello there, fine looking lady."

"Eh, hello," Emily replied. She had a feeling he was trying to hit on her and she was not going to have any of that. "I-"

"You have the distinct privilege of witnessing the most handsome engine on the whole island in my finest," he boasted.

"Yeah, anyway I-"

"Can you deny ever seeing such magnificence in your life?"

Emily was starting to get annoyed. Thomas had warned her that James could be very boastful and egotistical about his paintwork, but this was something else. "Yes I can," she said calmly. James was alarmed. "What?!"

"You're not the handsomest engine I've ever seen. Bragging about it isn't really helping you come off as such," Emily responded, only saying the truth. She didn't think he was handsome at all, splendid yes, but handsome? No. Personally, she found Thomas to be more handsome than James, he had a certain charm to him that Emily found appealing, which James didn't have.

James was furious, anyone who said he wasn't good looking was considered an enemy to him. "Ha! Well what would you know?!" he shouted, and he puffed crossly away. Emily sighed. Her first interactions with Gordon and James had not gone as well as she had hoped. "Oh well..." she sighed, "I'm sure things will go better next time."

But unfortunately things did not.

Whenever Emily tried to talk to Gordon and James again, they actively tried to avoid her at every opportunity. Emily thought they were being very silly complaining about nothing.

One evening Emily was taking on water when Gordon and James puffed into the yard. Emily thought they would try and ignore her again, so she didn't bother trying to talk to them. But she didn't have to...

"Look at this, James," Gordon remarked, "a perfect example of a domeless engine, no respect whatsoever, whistling loudly in stations at a grand engine like me!"

"And she has no taste for handsome engines such as me!" added James.

Now Emily was getting annoyed. "Oh, quit your boiler aching, this is ridiculous. I was only saying 'hello' to you Gordon, for goodness sake! Everyone whistles in stations, it's only natural, and there's nothing disrespectful about not having a dome. And as for you James, you're not very handsome in my opinion, no matter how much you delude yourself into thinking that you're the most splendid engine in the world, well you're not, so stop whinging like a spoiled baby and grow up! Both of you!" And with that Emily puffed away, feeling rather cross. That was the first time she had ever let her temper get the best of her. She had no idea that losing her temper that night was the first step to what she would eventually become.

Over the next few weeks the grudge that the two big engines held against Emily had grown stronger and stronger. They kept thinking of ways to pay her back for what she said to them. At last in early December, they decided to put their plan into action.

They saw her in the yard. Emily saw them and groaned. "Now what?" She could see the sinister smirks on their faces. "What are you up to?" she asked nervously.

"My my, what on earth is this eye sore doing here?" Gordon said.

"Eye sore?!" exclaimed Emily, she was highly insulted.

"Your wheels are so big - not even George has such big wheels! What happened; did you get into trouble with a steamroller? Did he flatten your wheels?

"Don't you dare make fun of my wheels! They're very special, there's nothing wrong with them."

"Special? They're as big as ferris wheels; they're far too big to be of any use. They must have been run over by a steamroller!"

"She is a steamroller Gordon, just look her; she's George on rails! Why don't you find a road you can flatten, you'll be better suited for that." The two big engines laughed their buffers off.

"Stop laughing!" Emily shouted, "There's nothing wrong with my wheels!" She was trying her best to stop herself from crying.

"And what are going to do, huh? Tell the Fat Controller? To weak to defend yourself?"

"All you ever do is be a goody-goody tell tale, and be Mrs. Nice Engine; always getting involved in everything, when it's none of your business and try to make everyone stop fighting and what not. What a bore! If you weren't here this island would be a better and excitable place."

Emily had never been so harshly insulted in her life. She was on the very brink of breaking into tears. "Stop it!" But they didn't stop. "Goody-goody steamroller, goody-goody steamroller!"

"Stop calling me that, I am NOT a goody-goody steamroller!" the tears were beginning to leak out of her eyes, inspite of her efforts to hold them back.

"Why should we, we're just being honest. You're nothing but goody-goody tell tale who doesn't belong here; just fade off into the background like any steamroller should, seen and not heard, that's what you ought to be."

"She's just as slow as steamroller thats for sure-" Gordon was then interrupted by sound of Emily puffing away from them, crying loudly as she couldn't hold the tears back any longer. She didn't look back, she just raced down the track as Gordon and James sniggered in triumph.

* * *

Thomas was speechless, he couldn't believe they had said such horrible things to Emily, all because of such silly circumstances. Though he couldn't help but smirk when he heard how Emily had told them to grow up - he too had to deal with their pompous attitudes over the years and had wanted to call them out on it. But even still, what they had said about her was inexcusable. How could he have not noticed sooner.

"...I can't believe they said such horrible things."

Emily pushed back another round of tears. "Thomas, please be honest...do I look like a steamroller?"

"No! Don't ever believe that!" Thomas replied sharply, startling her. "Emily, no matter what they say, you must realize that you are the most beautiful engine on Sodor and the most beautiful engine I have ever seen," he said softly, making Emily blush severely.

"You're just saying that..." she said sadly.

"No I'm not, believe me, Emily. I will admit, Molly is beautiful and I'll even admit that Rosie is cute, annoying but cute, and Mavis and Daisy look alright I suppose. But none of them could ever hope or dream of coming close to your beauty. You are so beautiful I can't help but think that everyday I'm looking at an angel."

"An a-angel?"

"Emily, just look at yourself," he said beckoning towards the water. "During my early days here on Sodor, I was told that angels were the most beautiful things in existence, and ever since then I always wondered if I would ever meet someone as beautiful as a real angel. The moment I first laid my eyes on you, I realized I had finally found a real angel in all of her glory. That angel is you, Emily. When you look at your reflection in the water, how can you think you aren't beautiful? It's all of you're unique features that make you such the beautiful and special engine you are."

Emily blushed deeply again at Thomas' honesty and looked at her reflection on the water with great detail. He was right. Her features were what made her who she was. It didn't matter if her wheels were big or that she didn't have a dome; they were what made her unique and beautiful.

"I never thought of it that way," she whispered. "Thank you, Thomas."

Thomas smiled, but then his expression became serious. "I hate to go on a sour note but, what happened after they said those things?"

Emily sighed before carrying on. "...After that they kept calling me those names for the rest of the winter. And then near the end of winter was when I made the fall..."

* * *

Winter was coming to an end. Although the snow had stopped, there were still lots of hard frosts over night and the rails were covered in a thin layer of ice. One particularly cold and frosty day Emily had been sent to the coaling plant to pick up a long heavy train of coal trucks that needed to be taken to Brendam Docks.

"Brrr! It's freezing!" shivered Emily, even with a warm toasty firebox she was cold. When she arrived at the coaling plant she saw the trucks in line waiting for her. She then heard a loud bumping noise and saw James angrily shunting some more trucks fiercely onto her train. She then felt very nervous.

"OWW!" shrieked the trucks. But James ignored them, he was in a very bad mood, he hated shunting trucks. "Aw shut up, you useless boxes on wheels!" Then he saw Emily. "Oi, you, steamroller, make yourself useful instead of being a useless waste of space and get these trucks out of here!"

Emily felt herself beginning to cry once again, James' insults always did that to her. She needed to fill up with coal so she quickly raced over to the hopper. As the coal started to pour into her tender, she saw James coming towards the hopper with some empty trucks. He bumped the trucks into Emily and they pushed her back, coal poured all over her, covering her beautiful paintwork in coal dust and her buffers were damaged.

"You domeless ditz, what were you just sitting there for?!" shouted James. "I-I was just-" flustered Emily. "I don't care for your excuses, take your trucks and bog off!" So Emily puffed sadly back over the points and was coupled up to the trucks and pulled them sadly out of the coaling plant.

For the last month, Gordon and James had been relentlessly bombarding Emily with harsh insults whenever they saw her alone and constantly wheeshed steam at her. She wanted to tell Thomas or at least someone, but then she would be a goody-goody tell tale and Gordon and James would tease her about it endlessly.

Presently, she reached Gordon's Hill. The hill was steep and the rails were icy, making Emily's wheels slip, to make matters worse the long heavy train was holding her back. "Come on," she panted as she struggled to get a grip. What Emily didn't know was that the trucks had brutally bashed around the coaling plant by James all morning. They were so cross at James they were determined to get their revenge; if they couldn't pay James back, then they would just have to settle with Emily.

"Hold back," they whispered to each other. Emily felt the strain of the heavy trucks holding her back. At last, after using enough sand, she managed to get a firm grip on the rails and slowly made it to the top. The trucks chance had come. They gave Emily a fearful bump and started pushing her down the hill. "On, on, on!" they cried. Emily tried to stop but the force of the trucks and the icy rails made her skid down the track much too fast. "NOOOO!" she cried as she reached the bottom and went round the sharp bend too quickly. Within seconds, her wheels lifted off the rails and she tipped onto her side and skidded into a field with the train falling off the track with her. The trucks were all badly damaged, some of them were destroyed and their loads had spilled everywhere but they didn't care, they had gotten their revenge.

Emily was battered and bruised. Her driver and fireman had jumped clear and gone for help, but it was certain that Emily wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. She moaned in pain, just as Gordon came around the bend. "Ahaha, that's the perfect spot for a steamroller for you, completely out of sight and out of the way, Ahaha!" and he puffed away laughing. Emily just started crying again as she lay in pain on the cold frosty ground.

Eventually Donald arrived with the breakdown train and Emily was lifted safely back onto the rails. She was absolutely freezing from staying there for so long and couldn't move an inch, so Douglas had to pull her to the Steamworks, while Donald stayed behind to clear up the mess.

The repairs took a very long time. The workmen had taken away Emily's old battered bronze buffers and replaced them with brand new silver buffers, but Emily hardly noticed them. Throughout her time at the Steamworks, all she could think about was how she could get her revenge on Gordon and James. After all the pain they put her through, she felt nothing but sheer hatred against them. She knew this wasn't right of her, but if she was going to stand up against them, she was going to have to fight fire with fire...

After a few weeks at the Steamworks, Emily was back in service. Her mind was made up, she didn't come to this decision easily, but if she was going to stop Gordon and James from bullying her then she had no choice.

She puffed into the yards looking for her coaches, but she couldn't find them anywhere. "Where are my coaches?" she asked. She looked all over the yards but she still couldn't find them. "I'm going to be late," she said. Then she saw Gordon and James. She whistled loudly to get their attention. "Hey! Where are my coaches?"

Gordon and James were startled. "Oh lovely, the steamroller is back! Why don't you crash into another field, things were much better with you gone."

"You should talk, you know better than anyone what it's like to crash into a field, with wooden brakes and black paintwork!"

James was staggered. "How did you know that?" he demanded.

"Ooh, such a harsh comeback from the steamroller," Gordon said sarcastically.

"You should talk fat face! I don't fall into a ditches to avoid pulling trucks!" Emily shouted. Gordon was staggered as well. "Fat face?! How dare you!" he shouted, but before he could say anything else Emily puffed away, chuckling to herself after seeing their reactions.

That night, there was a big and blustery storm. High winds knocked over trees and water towers and blew the roof of Farmer McColl's barn. Emily was very pleased to be safe and warm in her cozy shed. She could hear the wind outside. But the next morning, Emily could not believe her eyes, the storm had made a terrible mess.

The Fat Controller came to see Emily. "The storm blew the roof off Farmer McColl's barn," he said, "you must take some timber so it can be fixed."

"Yes, sir," said Emily. "_I'll show Gordon and James,_" she thought to herself, "_they don't have an important job like me._"

Emily steamed over to the timber yards. She buffered up to the timber wagons and raced of to Farmer McColl's as fast as she could. But the storm had caused lot's of damage to the lines. Workers and lorries were clearing branches and rocks from the track. Emily wanted to go quickly but she couldn't go at all.

"Bother!" said Emily crossly. Trevor and the workmen were trying to move the tree, but moving it was taking a long time.

"Hurry up!" said Emily impatiently, "You must work harder!" and she blew her whistle.

Trevor was working as hard as he could. At last he pulled the tree off the track. But Emily didn't say thank you to Trevor, all she said was, "About time!"

Every time she came across workmen clearing the track, she blew her whistle and wheeshed steam. This made the workmen cross, but Emily thought it made them work harder.

Then Emily came across a fallen water tower, it had crashed onto her line. "Oh no!" she cried. Elizabeth was helping the workmen push the tower off the track, the tower was very heavy. Emily decided to boss Elizabeth too.

"Hurry up!" she wheeshed and she blew her whistle as loud as she could. "Not if you ask like that," sniffed Elizabeth crossly.

"I've got an urgent delivery," said Emily. But Elizabeth didn't listen, she simply went back to work. Emily blew her whistle again, but the more she blew her whistle the slower Elizabeth seemed to go. Emily thought she would never get to Farmer McColl's.

The skies were darkening and night was on it's way. Thomas arrived bringing more supplies. "Hello," Thomas tooted. Emily complained about Elizabeth. "She won't do a thing I tell her."

"That's because you're a big bossy boiler," laughed Thomas. Now Thomas truly never meant any harm in saying those words as he was only joking with her, but those words made something snap in Emily's smokebox.

In all her anger that she felt towards Gordon and James for what they did to her, she had taken it out on everyone else by bossing them around insensitively. She had only intended to be mean to Gordon and James, not to anyone else, but she had spent the entire day being mean to everyone who was trying to help her. It filled her up with a deep sense of regret. She knew how to use her manners and respect others, but her anger had gotten the best of her and she couldn't forgive herself for it.

* * *

"You have no idea how much it hurt me, hearing you call me that, Thomas," weeped Emily sadly.

Thomas felt a lot regret, having realized that by making that joke he had made her realize that she had taken a dark path. "I'm so sorry, Emily, I thought I was just making a joke when I said that."

"It's not your fault Thomas, it's mine, I let my emotions get the best of me. After that I tried to stop being bossy, but Gordon and James kept bossing me, so I kept getting angrier and bossier no matter how much I tried to stop, like the snowplough incident," she said.

"I've already forgiven you for that, Emily, you don't have to blame yourself for that," he reassured her. "Go on."

Emily sighed before continuing on.

* * *

As Emily continued being bossy she started feeling more and more scared each day, to the point of paranoia. She was in constant fear of Gordon and James bullying her as well as being scared of what she was becoming by bossing other engines as well, so she tried her best to out do Gordon and James at everything.

The Railway Inspector was coming to the Island to inspect the railway and there was to be a cleanest engine competition and the winner would receive a special reward. Gordon and James were boasting as usual, saying they would win. Emily boasted that she would win, but only because she was desperate to prove to Gordon and James that she was better than them.

So Emily was the first one to arrive at the washdown. While the workmen scrubbed and polished her, all she could think about was beating Gordon and James. At that point Thomas arrived, he was covered in quarry dust.

"Hurry up! I need to get cleaned for the inspection."

"There's no need for you to get cleaned," said Emily, "I'm going to be the grandest engine there."

"I'll still win first prize," Thomas huffed, and he steamed away.

Eventually Emily, along with Gordon and James arrived at the coaling plant to wait for the Inspector. They all wanted the sunniest spot in the yard. So James backed up, suddenly he bumped into a truck, the truck rolled into a lever. Then there was a whooshing sound. "Oh no!" James puffed. Coal poured out everywhere, it poured onto the track and all over Gordon, James and Emily. They weren't gleaming shiny anymore.

Thomas and Percy ended up winning the competition and Emily steamed sadly away to be cleaned. As she was being cleaned she couldn't help but feel sorry for what she said to Thomas. He deserved to win it, all she cared about was trying to beat Gordon and James, but thanks to James, she failed miserably. But still, they lost as well, so it wasn't a complete failure.

The workmen had nearly finished cleaning Emily, when Gordon and James arrived. "Hurry up, we need to be clean for our passengers!" they demanded.

"Wait your turn!" replied Emily. But Gordon and James didn't wait. Gordon still had some coal dust in his funnel. He let out a huge sneeze and the coal dust flew out of his funnel and covered Emily once again in coal dust. "Hey!" she exclaimed, "You did that on purpose!"

"No I didn't, you didn't move so it's your fault," retorted Gordon.

The workmen were furious. "You dozy great pillock!" shouted one of them. "All our hard work has been wasted. Now we'll have to clean Emily again, so there will be no washdown for either of you two!"

"What?!" they roared. "This is outrageous!"

"Stow it, now clear off!"

"But-"

"You heard him," Emily said, "clear off!" So Gordon and James puffed crossly away, cursing under their breath, Emily just laughed at her victory.

The next day Emily was at the coaling plant again. She was still laughing at Gordon and James not getting their wash, when she suddenly felt something bump into her and push her towards the hopper. "Hey, what's going on?!" she cried, as she suddenly came to a stop under the hopper just as coal poured down, burying Emily from funnel to cab.

"Who did this?" coughed Emily. She heard two distinctive laughs she knew all too well. Gordon had pushed her under the hopper and James was right in front of her. "That's for yesterday, steamroller!"

"Because of you, our passengers complained to the Fat Controller that we were filthy and refused to travel with us."

Emily coughed and spluttered. "Just you wait until I'm out of here," she choked, but Gordon and James just laughed again. "What are you going to do? Be a goody-goody tell tale and tell someone to fight your battles for you?" Emily froze, those words that haunted her everyday were coming back to her. The two big engines laughed again and puffed away, leaving Emily under the coal as tears began to form in her grubby eyes.

And then months later, Emily met her biggest failure. Gordon had to take the new Mayor of Sodor on a tour of the Island, so Emily had been tasked to take the express. At this point in time, Gordon and James relentless bullying had nearly driven Emily so close off the edge and was she desperate to prove that she was as good as Gordon. As she went to collect the coaches all she could think about was, _"Twice before tea time, twice before tea time!"_

Emily puffed into Knapford Station. She was looking forward to taking the express but it was very, very heavy. "Bust my buffers." she gasped as she slowly pulled out of the station, but she pulled away too soon and left the brake coach behind.

Emily puffed with all her might, she was determined to be fast. Emily crossed the Island once in good time. "I am as good as Gordon." she puffed proudly. Emily had to wait for Edward at the crossing. Edward went as fast as he could, but it wasn't fast enough for Emily. "Hurry up slowcoach," she cried, "or you will make me late!" Edward felt sad, but Emily just steamed on.

Emily stopped in Maithwaite Station, the express was a guaranteed connection with Bertie the Bus, but Bertie hadn't arrived, he'd had a flat tire and was running late. Emily tried to wait. She counted to ten; twice. But she felt as if her boiler would burst. "I'm going to be the slowest engine on Sodor," she cried, "and it's not my fault!" and she puffed away. When Bertie arrived, Emily had already left.

Emily needed to take on water, but James was already at the water tower, he was pulling the slow goods train. Emily wanted to go first. "It doesn't matter if you are late," she said. "You must wait your turn!" said James crossly. "Express trains don't wait!" said Emily and she left without taking on water.

Emily went faster than ever, her carriages rocked and rolled, and her passengers were biffed and bashed and bounced. Finally, Emily could see Brendam Docks up ahead. "Twice before tea time." she puffed happily, "I am as good as Gordon." Then there was trouble. Emily started to slow down. "What's happening to me!" she cried. She went slower and slower. Emily had run out of water. She huffed and puffed, but she had no steam left. Finally Emily came to a complete stop.

The Fat Controller arrived on board James, he was very cross. "You should have waited," said the Fat Controller, "and now you have caused confusion and delay! You left the brake coach, stranded Bertie's passengers and bumped your carriages, you must learn to be more patient!" Emily knew the Fat Controller was right, she felt very bad. She was only trying to be as good as Gordon. "I'm sorry, sir," she said sadly.

After James pulled Emily into the Docks, the Fat Controller allowed Emily to take the slow goods train. Once James returned with the express he brought her to the water tower. Emily felt uncomfortable throughout the whole journey. James sniggered. "What was that you said to me? 'Express trains don't wait'. Well I must say, you did an outstanding job doing just that. Although I have to thank you for giving me the opportunity to pull the express, the proper way, by a proper engine and not a steamroller." Emily was far too embarrassed to say anything. This was by far the biggest failure of her life.

That evening Emily returned to the yard after delivering the slow goods. She was still feeling miserable for making such a fool of herself. If Gordon were to find out then her life would be ruined. Then her worst fears came true as Gordon steamed into the yard after his tour of the Island. Unfortunately for Emily, Gordon had heard everything.

"I knew you would fail to pull the express properly, but never did I imagine you would ever fail so spectacularly. Leaving the brake coach, leaving Bertie's passengers stranded and forgetting to fill up with water. You've proven to me today, that I was right all along, not only you are you a complete and utter failure, but you're also a disgrace to engines everywhere. You don't deserve to be a part of this railway, you're just a weak and pathetic failure!" and he puffed away.

Emily's self esteem was now completely shattered. She let out an ear piercing scream before racing out of the yard and towards her shed. She cried and cried until her eyes were red. Her life was ruined, what use to be happy, selfless and care free life was now nothing but a life of fear, anger, hate and suffering each and everyday. Her acts of desperation had done nothing but make things worse. Her fragile heart had been broken, she was worthless. For the rest of the night she could nothing but cry endlessly as with each passing second she sank deeper and deeper into darkness...

* * *

"...And that's basically it...you know the rest...everything I did and said to you and everyone else," Emily weeped, fresh tears were running down her face again. Thomas sat quietly by the water's edge, his heart was aching from hearing all the pain and suffering Emily had to go through. "Emily, you were in a desperate state, you did what you thought would help stop them."

"But it was the wrong thing to do, and I've hurt so many because of it. I can't forgive myself for what I did."

Thomas took a deep breath before choosing his words. "Emily...this has to stop, you don't deserve any of this, now that you've told me you have to tell the Fat Controller. He's the only one who can give Gordon and James the punishment they deserve and put an end to all this."

Emily trembled in fear. "B-but what if he won't do anything, what if no one believes me or what if no one will forgive me? Then I'll just be a...be a..."

"You won't be a goody-goody tell tale," said Thomas firmly. "Emily, telling someone about someone else's problems doesn't make you a goody-goody tell tale. It makes you someone who is concerned for the well being of others and it makes you want to help them. You showed me that when I made fun of Henry and Salty; you were the only who was concerned for them and wanted to help them. And even in your darkest hours you proved that the real you hasn't been lost, by wanting to help me when I was sleep deprived after working all night and by giving Diesel what he needed when no one else would. That's what makes you who you really are. A kind, compassionate and selfless engine who is always sensitive to other's feelings and that's all you ever need to be, that's all I ever want you to be..."

Emily felt as though all her fear had been sucked away from her. Thomas was right, she wasn't a goody-goody tell tale, she was kind, caring and compassionate to everyone. Throughout the years she was bossy, she thought the real her was gone forever, but it was still with her the entire time.

"The Fat Controller is the only one who can stop this and he will. The only way the other engines will be able to forgive you is if you tell them the true story. Gordon and James won't get away with what they've done." He paused for a moment. "And quite frankly, neither will I..."

Emily was confused. Then she remembered. "Thomas...did you really cause an accident at the quarry...did you really do it for me?" she asked.

Thomas knew he should tell her everything that happened. "Yes I did," he said and told her everything that 'Arry and Bert said about her and how he pushed them into the blast zone, burying them under the rocks. "I was so worried about you and when they started saying those things about you, and just like you, I let my anger take over me." Emily was amazed. She never thought Thomas would ever be so angry to do something so violent, just he so he could defend her. Although she had to admit, hearing how 'Arry and Bert got their punishment did make her feel a little better, considering what they did to her and Thomas at Halloween.

"So what will you do?" she asked.

"Now that I finally know the truth," Thomas replied, "once the Fat Controller puts Gordon and James in their place, I will accept whatever punishment he gives me. As long as you will finally be happy again, then that's all that matters to me, and I don't care what punishment I get."

Emily felt tears begin to form in her eyes once again, only this time they were tears of joy. Joy that she hadn't felt for years. Joy that the one she loved had helped her do what she thought was impossible, overcome her fears and help her become who she really was again.

"Thank you..." she sobbed. "...thank you, Tommy."

Thomas never thought he would be so happy to hear her call him that, in the two and a half years she hadn't called him that, he had missed her saying that so much, but he didn't want to admit that he liked it. He just smiled and held the love of his life close to him as she cried happily for the first time in years.

"Come on," he said, "I think it's time we go home now."

"Can't we stay a little longer, please?" she pleaded. Thomas couldn't argue with her, so he stayed put. "OK." The two looked at the water. The moon still shone brightly and the stars were still twinkling, reflecting off the calm and gentle water, as fireflies floated around them casting their tiny glows. It was too beautiful to describe. But to Thomas it didn't compare to Emily's beauty.

"It's so beautiful," she said.

"It is," agreed Thomas. "But it's nowhere near as beautiful as you are."

Emily blushed. "You're so sweet," she whispered. "But it's true. I said you were as beautiful as an angel, an emerald angel, and I meant every single word of it...and you look even more beautiful when you're smiling." Somehow Emily managed to blush even deeper. "Well you're the one who put that smile on my face, Tommy." Thomas smiled once again and looked back at Black Loch. Emily decided to do something she had wanted to do ever since she fell in love with him.

"Thomas..." she whispered. Thomas looked back at her and carefully Emily moved in slowly and, blushing furiously, she kissed him gently on his cheek. Inside her mind, Emily was squealing with delight. She was really doing it, she was actually kissing Thomas on the cheek. When she started falling in love with Thomas, she wondered what it would be like if she were to kiss him. Now, she was fulfilling that wish, while not kissing him on the lips, kissing his cheek was the most lovely feeling she had ever felt. His cheek was so soft and warm against her lips.

Everything seemed to stop for Thomas, as he felt Emily's soft, warm lips on his cheek. His face went dark red and his fire burned more furiously than ever. It was so gentle and warm. It felt so amazing, better than anything Thomas had ever felt before. When Emily stopped she saw Thomas staring at her with wide eyes, and giggled lightly. Thomas didn't know what to say, he still felt her lips on his cheek, he wished it could have lasted longer.

He tried to say something, when suddenly a firefly rested on his nose. Emily giggled again, but then a firefly landed on her nose as well. They stared at each other before they started to laugh together. When they stopped a few more fireflies landed on them, covering them with their tiny glows.

Emily continued to cry softly. "Emily, you don't need to cry anymore," said Thomas, gently.

"I can't help it...I'm just so happy," she replied. "The last time I was this happy...was the night we came here all those years ago," she weeped, at the treasured memory. "That was one of the happiest moments of my life, being able to share it with you, Tommy."

At that point Thomas nearly cried in happiness too. She felt the same way about that night as he did too. "I feel the same way about that night as you, Emily, and I'm glad that the one engine I got to share it with was you."

At that moment, the two engines felt themselves moving closer to each other, until they felt something warm against their noses. Their noses were lightly touching, they were touching each others faces, they could feel each others warm breaths. This was a first for both them, as neither of them had been so close to another engine before, but it felt very tender, comforting and soothing, being so incredibly close to another and gazing warmly into their eyes.

Thomas then suddenly chuckled. "You know, when I said maybe we should do something like this again, I never expected it to be under these circumstances."

Emily laughed again, a blush crossed her face when she realized how close they now were.

"Thomas..." Emily said.

"Yes Emily?" he replied.

"I...I love..." Emily started. She was so close, _so close_! Her heart fell and she exhaled when she realized she couldn't do it. "...I love that I met you," she said in place of the three words she really wanted to speak.

Thomas smiled, his face looking a little red as well. "I...I'm glad I met you, too, Emily. And please, if you ever need help, tell me...I'll be there for you, I promise." He was a bit disappointed that she didn't say she loved him, but he couldn't be upset right now, she was finally happy once again and that was more important to him right now.

* * *

At 5:30 am, the sun was beginning to rise over Sodor. The Fat Controller drove into Knapford Station, he wasn't happy. No one had been able to find Thomas after he ran off, the other engines had told what had happened in the yard, so the Fat Controller had to sleep knowing that _two _of his engines were on the run and no one had found them.

He sighed unhappily as he unlocked his office door, when he suddenly heard the sound of an engine coming towards the station. "Thomas? Emily?" Sure enough both Thomas and Emily puffed into the station.

"Where have you two been?" demanded the Fat Controller. "You both have a lot of explaining to do, especially you Thomas, what on earth possessed you to cause such a serious accident at the quarry?! The damage you've caused to 'Arry and Bert will take weeks to repair!"

"Sir, I'm sorry I caused the accident and I will accept whatever punishment you give me, but there's something important you need to know."

"What do I need to know?"

Emily spoke up. "Sir, I have something to tell you..." and she told the Fat Controller everything about Gordon and James, how they bullied her and how she tried to stop it, and that when Thomas found her she told him everything. The Fat Controller listened very carefully. "Why didn't you tell me sooner Emily?" he asked.

"Because I was silly, sir, and worried, and I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused because of it."

"Emily, you must never be afraid to tell me if something is wrong, it's my duty to look after all of my engines and ensure that there is peace among you all. But because of your little incident with 'Arry and Bert yesterday, Thomas, that peace has been disturbed. I still need to know what ever possessed you to do such as thing. You caused severe damage to those two."

"I was worried about Emily, sir, and 'Arry and Bert took advantage of that and started calling her evil and saying terrible things about her, so I got angry at them, and well...went overboard."

The Fat Controller sighed and shook his head. "I honestly don't what to say to you, Thomas. While I am very disappointed with your actions, I cannot fault you for defending your friend from such inexcusable bullying. I am willing to overlook some of these transgressions, provided it doesn't happen again. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," Thomas said quickly, "of course, sir, I'll never do it again, sir."

"That's a good engine. You will stay in your shed for the rest of the week, while Emily will cover your duties on your branch line."

"Yes, sir," Emily puffed. "I'll do my very best, sir."

"I know you will, and once you return to work, Thomas, you will do 'Arry and Bert's work in the quarry as well as your own work," added the Fat Controller sternly. "Of course, sir," replied Thomas, he really did not care at all about having to do extra work, all he cared about was that the Fat Controller was finally informed about Emily's suffering and he would help stop it at long last.

"Now, this matter must be dealt with immediately. Take me to Tidmouth Sheds at once, I will put an end to this once and for all," ordered the Fat Controller and he climbed into Emily's cab and they set of for Tidmouth Sheds.

The engines were just waking up when they saw Emily and Thomas puffing towards the shed. "Thomas, Emily, there you are! Where were you last night?" Edward asked. Then the Fat Controller stepped down from Emily's cab. Gordon and James exchanged worried glances.

"This morning I have learned that one of my engines has been a victim of relentless bullying by not just one, but two of my engines for almost four and a half years," said the Fat Controller. The other engines murmured to each other, wondering who it was, except Gordon and James, who grew more and more nervous.

"The victim of such bullying was...Emily," the Fat Controller declared. "Emily, would you care to reveal the identities of those who are responsible for bullying you?"

"Certainly, sir. The two engines who bullying me for four and a half years were..." she paused dramatically, "Gordon and James!"

The engines gasped. Gordon and James couldn't do anything, they had been found out. "You two are the reason why I've been so bossy for years." and she told all the engines everything Gordon and James had done and said to her over the years, she didn't leave out a single detail. The engines were all speechless. Never did any of them imagine that Gordon and James were the ones responsible for Emily's sudden change. Speaking of Gordon and James, they had never felt so weak and scared in their entire lives.

Once Emily finished, the Fat Controller walked sternly over to Gordon and James. "I am utterly disgusted by your abysmal behavior. I have told you two thousands of times over the years that I won't accept bullying, I've given countless warnings about it, and yet you have the inexcusable cheek to disobey my orders once again and cause Emily to suffer unimaginable pain and suffering for so many years, telling her she doesn't belong here, forcing her to make terrible decisions and you actually have the sick, twisted sense of humor to enjoy constantly harassing poor Emily, when she did done nothing to deserve it. My engines are a family, and families respect and care for one and another, you don't rule one out just so you have your way of torturing them day and night. And most importantly, this is MY railway, I make the rules and on MY railway I will never tolerate bullying from any engine whatsoever and if you two ever disobey my orders again and if you two ever bully anyone on this magnitude again, then I will lock both of you up in the shed and you will never be let out ever again! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!" boomed the Fat Controller, his voice echoed all over Tidmouth Sheds.

"Y-y-yes, s-s-sir," they trembled, they weren't big and proud now, they were small and powerless. The other engines stared grimly at each other, while Thomas and Emily glared at them with pure hatred, for everything they put Emily through.

"For your punishment you will both be left in the out of use siding, until you finally learn how to respect every engine equally!" said the Fat Controller sternly.

"...yes, sir," they replied quietly. "Now apologize to Emily this instant!"

"...we're sorry, Emily." But Emily didn't say anything, she just glared at them. It would take far more than just a simple "we're sorry" to make her forgive them, and Thomas knew this as well - he wouldn't forgive them for this either.

"Donald, Douglas, take them to the out of use siding right away!" ordered the Fat Controller.

"Aye, sir," they replied, but before they did they looked at Emily. "We're sorry we said those things about you last night, lass," Donald started. "We didna know you wer listening," Douglas added.

"And I'm sorry I said those things about you too, Emily." said Henry.

"We're all sorry we gave up on you, Emily." Edward concluded.

Emily smiled, she could see how sorry they were and said, "I forgive you...except for some of you," she added, glaring at Gordon and James.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you," said the Fat Controller. "None of you should ever be afraid to tell me if something is wrong, I will always ensure that peace on my railway is maintained at all times and that my engines are treated as a family and if anyone disrupts it then they will not go unpunished!" The engines whistled in agreement. Gordon and James were taken away in disgrace and the Fat Controller walked away.

"So does this mean the old Emily is back?" Percy wheeshed quietly. Emily smiled at the little engine. "Yes, Percy. The old me is back and she is here to stay forever." This was met with a chorus of whistles from all of the engines.

When all the engines went to work, Thomas and Emily were left alone at the shed. Emily started crying happily again. "It's over...it's finally over," she weeped.

"It's over," reassured Thomas. "You're finally at peace, Emily, you have nothing to fear anymore."

"I never thought this would ever happen, but now thanks to you, Thomas it finally is. I can't ever thank you enough."

"You don't need to thank me, Emily, I'd do anything to help you. Even when I'm not right next to you, I will always support you, Emily, remember that."

Emily couldn't remember a time she had ever been more happy then she was now. Her closest friend, her savior, the love of her life, had brought her out from darkness and back into the light. "Tommy...you're the greatest friend I've ever had, I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't met you. Please promise we'll always be friends."

Thomas felt tears of joy forming in his eyes. "Emily, you're the greatest friend _I've _ever had as well and I promise, we will always be best friends forever," he said happily. They held each other closely and cried in happiness. Throughout this entire ordeal, they had always valued their friendship and even when they thought they didn't trust each other, it was their bond that put an end to this chaos and at last they could rest easy, knowing they would always support each other as best friends forever.

After awhile, Emily pulled away. "I guess it's time for me to get to work," she said. Thomas didn't want her to go, but he knew she was right. "Yeah, promise me you'll take good care of branch line for me," he said.

"Of course I will," she promised. "I won't disappoint you."

"I know you won't..." Thomas smiled, "And remember, I'll always be supporting you."

"I know you will...thank you, Tommy," she said, before puffing slowly away to work on his branch line. They smiled at each one last time before she was away from Tidmouth Sheds. As she made her way down the track, all she could say was, "Thank you, Tommy, my one true love." While Thomas sat alone in Tidmouth Sheds, he started to doze off, thinking that finally, after years of pain for both of them, his one and only love, was finally happy once again, thanks to him and he would always cherish her happiness forever...

* * *

IT'S FINALLY DONE! I cannot stress enough how sorry I am for the huge delay of this chapter but it's finally complete and with it this arc. This is by far the longest chapter I have ever written, over 11,000 words. Now I would like to thank each and every one of you who reviewed the last chapter, you guys certainly made this worth all the trouble i had writing this. On a sour note, I start going back to school next week, so you may be seeing less and less of me, as this is my final year of school and as such will be my busiest year. So I hope you will all be able to bare with me and I am ever so sorry for the delay. But as always, rate and review!


	11. Close But No Kiss

Life on Sodor could not have been better for Emily that week. After Gordon and James had finally been punished for what they had done to her, she could finally start re-building her life from the ground up and go back to her old ways.

Her story had become quite popular; engines from all over the Island came Tidmouth Sheds to hear the tale. Some of them were drawn to tears, particularly Molly, who being a very sensitive engine when it came to heartbreaking stories, couldn't hold a grudge against Emily after realizing that what she had said to her, didn't even come close to the things Emily had to suffer from. She was very quick to forgive Emily and in turn, Emily was very sorry she made fun of Molly.

Throughout the week, Emily had been taking care of Thomas' branch line, while he stayed in the shed as punishment for pushing 'Arry and Bert into the landslide. She enjoyed herself immensely. She got on well with Bertie and Terence, and she got to meet Mrs. Kyndley, an old lady, who Thomas had told her stories about, and Emily was glad to see that she was just as friendly as Thomas had said.

She took extra special care of Annie and Clarabel. During their time together, the coaches had grown very fond of Emily, she was very gentle with them, she didn't go too fast and she was always right on time. And, at the end of the day, she would take them to see Thomas, who was very glad to see them, and vice versa.

Emily found it very funny when she brought them to the shed the first time, they scolded him for the entire evening, inspite of Thomas' reasoning, although it became apparent that they were doing it just to annoy him, and it certainly worked, Emily was in stitches the entire time.

Annie and Clarabel also seemed to notice that Thomas and Emily were growing closer and closer to each other everyday, they also learned of Emily's nickname for Thomas. Of course, Emily hadn't meant to say it, but once Annie and Clarabel heard it, there was no stopping them from calling him Tommy. It was then Thomas remembered why he didn't like that name in the first place; it was bloody annoying.

Needless to say, Thomas was very happy once the week had finished and he could get back to work, after all, staying in the shed for a whole week with nothing to do, was incredibly boring. He got back into his daily routine, taking passengers in Annie and Clarabel and racing against Bertie, despite Annie and Clarabel's objections. But because 'Arry and Bert were being repaired, Thomas had to work at the quarry as well. Toby and Mavis kept a close eye on him at all times, making sure he didn't cause another accident, but thankfully, Thomas had kept his promise to the Fat Controller.

At last the day was coming to an end, and Emily was enjoying a nice, hot bubble bath at the washdown. She sighed in delight and relaxed as she was scrubbed and rubbed everywhere. She was glad there was no one around to cover her in coal dust. She wasn't in a competition this time, she was just having a relaxing wash with nothing to worry about.

Emily didn't see or hear Thomas puffing into the yard, the little blue engine was covered in quarry dust and was looking forward to a wash. He saw Emily there and stopped beyond the washdown. He could see that she was enjoying it, judging by her smile. A smile he loved seeing so much. She was just so...beautiful, elegant, gorgeous, every one of her features was pure perfection, just like an emerald. His eyes made their way down to her wheels, which were the target point of Gordon and James' bullying, Thomas would never be able to forgive them for calling Emily a steamroller, sure her wheels were huge, but that's what Thomas loved about them, they made her unique. He watched as the workmen scrubbed them thoroughly, as he started to daydream about her.

Thomas was so fixated with Emily's wheels that he didn't see Emily open her eyes. She saw Thomas staring at her wheels, which made her blush and look away. She didn't know how to react - she knew she should've told him to stop looking at her, but on the other hand, she was actually kind of enjoying it. There was just something that made her feel happy, and almost proud, that the one she loved was so mesmerized by her, despite the fact her face was as red as James.

But then she decided it would be best if she got his attention, she didn't want engines passing by to get the wrong impression. "Hello, Thomas. W-what are you looking at?"

Thomas woke up from his daydream and blushed as well. How long how had she known he was there? More importantly, how long had he been staring at her?! Thomas started to panic, what was he going to say to her, he had to think of something otherwise he'd really be in trouble.

"Oh...h-h-hey Emily...I-I was err...j-just looking at...at...at...the stars! Yes, that's it, the stars."

Emily looked up at the sky. The sun was going down and there were little lights indicating that they were stars. _"Not bad,"_ she thought to herself, although if he thought he could fool her with that excuse when he was clearly looking down, then he had another thing coming.

"You've got a smudgy face," she chuckled.

Thomas sighed with relief. "Well, it's quite dusty up at the quarry," he replied.

"You've only been back to work for one day and just look at the state of you. You didn't get into trouble did you?"

"No I didn't," Thomas retorted, "and anyway, it was the stupid trucks fault I got dirty, they dragged me under the hopper."

"Well, it sounds better than getting buried in coal," said Emily, having bad flashbacks. Thomas could see that she was getting sad just thinking about. "Emily, you don't have to worry about that happening again, those days are over, and besides, you're not the only one who's been buried in coal before."

"You have?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, years ago Percy was filling up his trucks with coal, the trucks pushed him through the buffers and all the coal poured down on me, I was almost practically buried completely. I was so dirty, I couldn't take any trains until I was cleaned. Percy thought it had been a great laugh, but I thought he'd done it on purpose and we argued about it until Percy had an accident with coal himself."

Emily smiled. "Well, are you going to spend the night talking about being dirty, or are you going to have a wash?" Thomas smiled as well. "I think I'd rather have a wash," he said and he ran over the points, what he didn't know was that earlier, Daisy had been having a washdown and when she left some of her oil dripped onto the track. Emily only just noticed this. "Look out for the oil!" she said, but it was too late, Thomas' wheels locked as he ran over the oily track and he skidded out of control and bumped into Emily. Luckily Thomas wasn't going fast and he stopped once he hit Emily.

"Oops! Sorry!" Thomas said, hoping he hadn't hurt her.

"Don't worry, I'm OK..." Emily replied.

Then both of their faces went bright red, both in disbelief as to what was happening right now. Due to Thomas bumping into Emily, their buffers had been pressed against each other, their buffers were now fully pressed into their housings. What happened next shocked both of them. With their buffers fully pressed together, they were only inches between them. They felt an intense burning sensation within them, hotter than their regular fires could ever produce. Both of them inched closer to the other, looking one another in the eye. The rest of the world simply disappeared around them, neither of them remembering that anyone could see them. Their eyelids grew heavier, as they moved closer, their lips nearly a few centimetres away from -

A loud whistle shattered the mood, the two engines jumped in fright and Thomas jerked back away from Emily. "What the?"

Emily quickly glanced behind her and she saw the culprits; Bill and Ben.

"Got you!" shouted Bill.

"You got them good Bill!" laughed Ben, then the cheeky twins raced away, still laughing. Thomas and Emily glared at the twins as they ran away.

Emily blushed madly at the thought of what nearly happened. If it hadn't been for Bill and Ben and their cursed tricks...

Thomas thought the same thing. He sighed. If there was ever a case of 'wrong place at the wrong time' it was defiantly now.

The workmen, who had gone to get more brushes, returned and started to clean Thomas. There was a long awkward silence throughout their wash, both still thinking about what almost occurred. The men had finished cleaning Emily and she was ready to go back to Tidmouth Sheds.

"I'll see you back at the sheds?" she asked, still blushing.

"Yeah." he replied, blushing as well. As she puffed away, he sighed. "_We were so close, so close! Ugh!_" Emily was thinking the same thing as well. "_We almost kissed, curse those little demons!_"

Soon Thomas' washdown was over and he made his way back to Tidmouth Sheds. He backed into the berth beside Emily, who was still blushing madly. "H-hey," said Thomas. "Hey," she said quietly.

There was another round of silence between them. "Err, l-listen," mumbled Thomas, trying to break the awkward silence, "thanks for looking after my branch line for me while I here."

"It was the least I could do to thank you for helping me out," replied Emily, before there was silence again.

"Well...I'll see you in the morning..." Emily said.

"Yeah...goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight, Thomas."

With that the two engines went to sleep...

_"Oops! Sorry!" Thomas said, hoping he hadn't hurt her. 'Wait didn't this happen already?'_

_"Don't worry, I'm OK..." Emily replied. 'Hasn't this already happened?'_

_Thomas and Emily felt like they were reliving what had happened at the washdown. When they looked down they saw that their buffers were in the same location as they were when Thomas bumped into her. They then both felt the same burning sensation they felt earlier again. 'Is this a dream?' they both thought. Whatever it was they felt themselves moving closer to each other and their eyelids growing heavy and this time there was no one to interrupt them._

_At last their lips softly met, locking them in a gentle kiss. They felt fireworks go off, yet they didn't really know what to do. So Emily decided to move her lips slightly, Thomas seemed to catch on, so he moved his lips slightly against hers. Neither of them could believe what was happening, they were kissing each other and it felt so amazing! As they got use to it, they moved their lips a bit faster, but still gently. They had no idea how long they had been kissing, but they didn't care. All they knew was that they were kissing each other, and they were feeling utterly satisfied, thrilled, and madly passionate about each other..._

_At some point they opened there eyes and stopped kissing. When they looked into each other's eyes, they saw what could only be described as love in their eyes. They didn't know what to say, how could they describe such an amazing experience? _

_"...Thomas...I...I love you..." said Emily, with passion in her voice. _

_"...Emily...I love you too..." replied Thomas with the same passion in his voice, before they kissed again. As they slipped into their own world, they wished that this wasn't only a dream..._

Thomas slowly opened his eyes. It was still dark out. He looked to his left and saw Emily sound asleep beside him. Then everything dawned on him. "Bother!" he wheeshed, quiet enough not to wake anyone up. "It was just a dream," he groaned. "Bother!" And with that he went back to sleep, feeling rather cross.

As soon as Thomas was asleep again, Emily cautiously opened one eye. She had heard him complaining about a dream. "Did he have the same dream I had?" she said to herself. "It was such a perfect dream, why couldn't it have been real?" she moaned, before going sadly back to sleep.

* * *

New chapter ahoy! In other news I have been watching Sodor's Legend of The Lost Treasure and all I can say is it's easily by far the greatest Thomas special ever! And yes I will be doing a Thomas x Emily story about it after Season 19 is completed because SLOTLT takes place after S19, so look forward to that.

As for next chapter? Well I hope you're hyped because next chapter we finally get to see Rosie! So please leave a review and if you have seen Sodor's Legend of The Lost Treasure, tell me what you think about it. See you all later!


	12. Every Rosie Has It's Thorns

Three days had passed since Thomas and Emily nearly kissed and they found themselves unable to think about anything else and for the last two nights they had nothing but the same dream again. They found it awkward when they talked to and they couldn't even look at each other without blushing. If it weren't for Bill and Ben startling them then they probably wouldn't be so embarrassed.

Emily puffed into Knapford Yards to take on water. As she filled up her mind wandered back to the dream again. "_Why couldn't it have happened in real life?_" she thought to herself, "_I've kissed him on the cheek, so why couldn't I have kissed him on the lips? Oh what am I thinking, it was an accident, he didn't mean to bump into me, it wasn't meant to happen...or was it?_"

As she finished her drink, Emily heard Thomas' whistle and blushed. "Oh my, here he comes," she said to herself. To her surprise though Thomas puffed into the yard looking rather cross.

"Oh hey, Emily."

"Hey, Thomas, is there something the matter?"

Thomas let out a deep sigh. "Rosie, that's the matter."

"Oh..." said Emily as she caught the message. "I see."

Rosie was a cheerful, feisty and energetic little pink tank engine, with three domes, a gold headlamp on her smokebox and six small wheels like Thomas. Despite her feminine colour, Rosie was quite a tomboy. When she arrived on Sodor she began idolising Thomas for his incredible bravery and selflessness to the point of hero-worship and imitation. Though this was said to be the most sincere form of flattery, it only served to irritate Thomas immensely, to the point where he actively tried to avoid her whenever he could. However, innocent little Rosie never seemed to realize this, particularly when he was trying to deliver birthday post to his friend Alice at High Farm, she followed him even though he told her not to, but after Thomas had an accident in the course of delivering this train, Rosie helped him and he came to respect her...unfortunately that respect was gone a few days after that.

"She's so annoying, I keep telling her to leave me alone but she won't!" grumbled Thomas.

"I'm sure Rosie doesn't mean any harm, Thomas."

"Well I'm sick of it! I wish she'd take the hint and pack it in. I'll see you later," sighed Thomas, and he puffed away to fetch his coaches. Emily thought about what Thomas had said. She liked Rosie and all but she did seem to be almost stalking him. However she was able to pick up on something that Thomas hadn't noticed, and it was something that made Emily feel unsettled.

Rosie had a crush on Thomas. Emily noticed it straight away when she first saw her imitating him, she could see the attraction for Thomas in her eyes and it worried her. If Thomas ever grew to like Rosie, then Rosie could probably swipe him before Emily could reveal her own feelings for Thomas, and she would never be able to live with that.

She was about to leave, when she heard a whistle that sounded like Thomas', or at least trying to sound like Thomas', which meant it had to be Rosie. She puffed into the yard with her usual big, cheerful smile. "Hi, Emily," she said sweetly.

"Hello, Rosie. What are you doing?" asked Emily.

"Oh nothing, by the way have you seen Thomas? I wonder if he needs my help." Emily knew what Rosie meant by "help."

"Rosie...you do know that Thomas doesn't like it when you try to imitate him, don't you?"

Rosie chuckled. "Don't be silly. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Why wouldn't he like it?"

"A-aha, I don't really think that's actually the case, Rosie," laughed Emily, uneasily.

"Of course it is," retorted Rosie, "He's so brave and fearless and handsome, he deserves so much flattery!" Emily gave an awkward smile, clearly trying to convince Rosie that Thomas didn't like her imitation wasn't going to be easy. She was right about the brave part, Thomas was always very brave when he needed to be, but he wasn't always fearless. Emily did however feel jealous when Rosie called him handsome. Emily thought Thomas was the most handsome engine on the whole island, but she didn't like others thinking the same as her. After everything Thomas had done for Emily since she arrived, she wanted to be the one to win Thomas' heart more than anything in the world, and despite how selfish she sounded, there was no way she would ever let Rosie or anyone else take him without a fight.

"Well, I'll see you later then, Rosie." said Emily and she puffed away. Rosie decided to keep looking for Thomas, and so she raced away, imitating his whistle once again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Thomas had collected Annie and Clarabel and puffed into Knapford Station to pick up some passengers. By now the weather had changed for the worst as dark clouds loomed overhead. Thomas was still feeling annoyed about Rosie, Annie and Clarabel were quick to notice this. "Let me guess," said Annie, "Rosie?"

Thomas just grunted. "I wish she would leave me alone, that's all. And why is she pink if she's a tomboy, that's a girly colour."

"Well, actually she's lavender, Thomas," corrected Clarabel.

"What difference does it make, it's still pink!"

"Well, it suits her at the very least," said Annie.

Just then the Fat Controller walked up to Thomas. "Good afternoon, sir," greeted Thomas. But the Fat Controller didn't look cheerful, he looked unsettled. "Thomas...there's something you need to know."

Thomas was confused. "What do you mean, sir?"

The Fat Controller paused for moment. "You remember your siblings, don't you, Thomas?"

"Of course I do, sir, my brothers from Brighton, where we were built. What about them sir?"

The Fat Controller paused again. "A few years ago, your brothers were unfortunately withdrawn from service and the last one has only recently been withdrawn."

"What?!" exclaimed Thomas, Annie and Clarabel gasped too. "What do you mean they were withdrawn, sir?"

"They were replaced by a new class of shunting engines. The same class as Rosie." said the Fat Controller.

Thomas could not believe what he heard. His brothers, who were built at the same time as him were all replaced by Rosie's class, of all engines, it had to be Rosie's class. "B-but what about my brothers, sir, where are they now?"

The Fat Controller sighed and looked away. "...I didn't want to tell you this, Thomas...I'm sorry, but after they were withdrawn, they were all scrapped." Thomas, Annie and Clarabel all gasped in horror. "S-s-scrapped?!" exclaimed Thomas, he had never felt so shocked in all his life. His class mates, his brothers, the best tank engines in the world, were all scrapped except for him. He was the only one of his kind left in the world. His mind went to Rosie, the one who had replaced his brothers. With her on the island, she was bound to replace him and he would end up like his brothers.

"Oh, Thomas," synthesized Annie and Clarabel, trying their best to comfort him, but they were just as shocked as he was. The Fat Controller turned away. "I'm so sorry, Thomas." and he walked away.

Thomas was still speechless. "Scrapped?" he mumbled again. Then he heard a whistle and when he saw who it was his face went from shock to anger, as Rosie puffed cheerfully into the station. "Hello, Thomas!" she called happily. But Thomas didn't answer her back, he glared at her and was trembling with rage.

"You!" he shouted, startling Rosie, as well as Annie and Clarabel. "You don't belong here! Get off this island now and go back to wherever you came from and never come back!" and Thomas jerked forward, bumping Annie and Clarabel, and hissed steam rudely at Rosie as he puffed out of the station, just as it started to rain.

Rosie was left feeling very shaken and extremely hurt by Thomas' angry statement. "W-what did I do?" she quivered. She started to tear up and raced out of the station, letting her tears fall.

* * *

Sometime later Emily was making her way back to Tidmouth Sheds. She was still thinking about Thomas and Rosie. "I hope Rosie didn't annoy him again," she said to herself. The rain had gotten heavier and it made Emily shiver as she went through Henry's Tunnel. She remembered when Thomas told her that Henry had stayed in the tunnel and wouldn't come out because he was afraid of rain, and he was bricked up inside it. Of course he was let out of the tunnel eventually, but he still kept his fear of the rain when Thomas came to Sodor, but thanks to the little blue engine, Henry realized that rain was nothing to be afraid of. Emily thought it was a lovely story, but she had to admit, although Henry was a kind engine, he worried a bit too much sometimes.

Emily came up to a signal, when suddenly she heard what sounded like someone crying. Emily looked over to a siding behind the signal box and saw Rosie crying. "Rosie?!" she exclaimed, "What's wrong?"

Rosie looked up and saw Emily. "Oh, Emily!" she cried. "It's Thomas."

"What about Thomas? What did he do?!" asked Emily, worriedly, hoping he was alright.

"H-he said I didn't belong here, and he told me to get off the island and never come back," weeped Rosie.

Emily was speechless. "No way, that can't be true, Thomas would never say such things!" she protested.

"But he did, he was shaking and yelling and he hissed steam at me!" replied Rosie. Emily didn't want to believe Rosie, but she sounded serious. Did Thomas finally lose his patience with her and just lash out at her? Whatever it was she was going to find out.

Emily puffed into Tidmouth Sheds. She couldn't see Thomas anywhere. "Thomas? Are you here?" Then she heard a quiet sobbing sound. It seemed to be coming from inside the shed. Emily rolled over to berth where the sound was coming from. "Thomas? Is that you?" The doors opened and inside was Thomas, who was crying softly.

Emily wasn't used to seeing Thomas cry, she had only seen him crying three times and all three of those occasions were when he was trying to discover the truth about her change, and that was only nearly two weeks ago.

"Thomas, what's wrong, why are you crying?" she asked, as she puffed forward into the berth and stopped in front of him. Thomas looked up at her. "Emily...they're all gone."

"Who's all gone, what are you talking about?"

"...My brothers."

"Your brothers?" Thomas had never told her he had brothers. "What do you mean they're gone?"

Thomas sniffed. "After I left you earlier, the Fat Controller came up to me...he told me that a few years ago my brothers had been taken out of service, and only recently the last one was withdrawn." More tears ran down Thomas' face. "And after they were withdrawn...they were all scrapped," he sobbed. "Now I'm the only one left in the world."

Emily gasped. "Oh, Thomas! I'm so sorry." Rosie's accusations had slipped right out of her mind, right now all she could focus on was her beloved Thomas in pain. Learning that their classmates had been withdrawn would upset any engine. But to learn that they had all been scrapped was heart shattering, and for it to have happened to someone like Thomas, Emily couldn't even begin to imagine how much pain he was in.

"Why were they withdrawn?" she asked. The look on Thomas' face turned from sad and upset turned to one of anger and hatred. "They were all replaced by a different class of engine..." he said darkly. "They were all replaced by Rosie!" As soon as Thomas mentioned her name, Emily remembered what Rosie had said to her, and then she realized that Rosie was right, Thomas must have just learned the news when Rosie came up to him and in his sadness and rage he must have said all those things to her about getting off the island.

"Now that she's here, she's going to replace me, just like her siblings did to mine, and then I'll be scrapped just like them!" growled Thomas.

"No!" shrieked Emily, "Don't say that, you know the Fat Controller would never scrap you, Thomas." But Thomas was not convinced. "Once I'm gone, then Rosie will end up taking my branch line too." he wheeshed. "That's probably why she came here in the first place, so that I would be scrapped and she'll take my job!"

"Thomas stop, you don't know what you're saying," Emily pleaded.

"Yes I do," remarked Thomas, "she never should have come here in the first place!"

Emily was shocked that Thomas would say such a thing. This was just like when he caused the accident at the quarry, he was sad because he didn't know why Emily had changed, and he was angry when 'Arry and Bert teased him about Emily being evil. His emotions had taken control of him, just they were now, he was sad that his siblings had all been scrapped, and he was angry at Rosie because it was her siblings that caused his to be scrapped. Thomas' face went from angry to sad once again and he started crying just like before.

Emily was conflicted. She knew that she should have stuck up for Rosie and scold Thomas for saying such things, but she loved Thomas too much and she couldn't bring herself to do so when he was in so much pain. Throughout the rest of the night, Emily held Thomas closely to her as he cried and cried, just like when he held her close to him at Black Loch when she told him the truth about Gordon and James bullying her.

* * *

The next morning Emily puffed wearily into Knapford Station. She spent the night comforting Thomas and didn't get a lot of sleep and neither did Thomas, he was still in the same state he was in when he left the shed. Emily was worried about what Thomas would do if he saw Rosie again.

Emily saw the Fat Controller coming out from his office. She had to find out more on this whole ordeal. "Sir, I need to talk to you."

"Whatever is the matter, Emily?" asked the Fat Controller.

Emily took a deep breath. "Is it true sir? Is it true that Thomas' siblings have been scrapped?"

The Fat Controller sighed. "Yes, Emily, it's true." said the Fat Controller. "All eight of Thomas' brothers were taken out of service and were replaced by Rosie's siblings...Rosie doesn't know anything about this."

"_Oh dear, how am I going to explain this to Rosie?_" Emily thought to herself. "Sir, Thomas is very upset about this, and...he thinks Rosie's going to replace him and he'll be scrapped."

"Ah, I knew he would do this. Believe you me, I didn't want to have to tell him about it, especially not even two weeks after the accident up at the quarry. But regardless none of this is Rosie's fault," said the Fat Controller. "And I would-"

"Excuse me, sir, you are wanted on the telephone," called one of the Fat Controller's assistants.

"Bother that telephone!" he groaned. "Off you go, Emily." and he walked away.

Emily sighed as she puffed out of the station, once she was out she saw Rosie in the yards, when Thomas puffed past her and hissed steam rudely at her again. Rosie's eyes were red, indicating that she had been crying throughout the night. Emily puffed up to her.

"Oh, Emily, did you find out why Thomas was so angry with me?" asked Rosie, desperately. Emily remained quiet for a while. She needed to choose her words carefully if she was going to break it gently to Rosie. "Yes I did..."

"Well go on then, tell me," said Rosie impatiently.

"Well...it's because of your siblings."

"My siblings? What do they have to do with it?"

"...Before you ran into Thomas, the Fat Controller came up to him...and he told him that...he told him that his siblings had all been withdrawn from service...and they were all replaced by new engines. The ones who took over Thomas' siblings, were yours."

"W-what?!" cried Rosie. "That's awful! I didn't know anything about this."

"It gets worse I'm afraid. After Thomas' brothers were were withdrawn, they were all...they were all...scrapped," said Emily sadly.

Rosie gasped in horror. "S-so they're all d-dead because of me?!"

"No! None of this is your fault, Rosie, you have nothing to feel guilty about...although, with you on the island, Thomas thinks that you're going to replace him, and he'll be scrapped."

"B-b-but I don't want to replace him!" quivered Rosie. "You won't," reassured Emily, "The Fat Controller would never replace him for anyone." But Rosie wasn't convinced at all. She didn't want to stay if Thomas was convinced that he was on a death threat because of her.

* * *

The news of Thomas' deceased classmates spread across the island like wildfire. Every engine on the island was talking about it, the steam engines all felt sorry for Thomas, while some of the diesels did too, but some also felt sorry for Rosie too.

Whenever Thomas saw Rosie, he would rudely blow steam at her, he would overtake her at the water tower and coal hopper and he would shout insults at her. Things got so bad that Edward had to step in and defend Rosie. Emily wanted to defend Rosie too, as she knew first hand what it was like to suffer from bullying. But to see that the one she loved who had done so much to save her from all those years of bullying was now the one who was making Rosie suffer the same pain that Emily felt, was braking Emily's heart.

She knew she should have chosen to help Rosie instead, but she knew that Thomas was also in incredible pain as well, having to deal with the fact that all of his family were now dead. He was angry and just like Emily did, he was taking his anger out on Rosie. Every night Emily would hear Thomas crying in the sheds quietly, which made Emily feel even more conflicted, having to choose between someone who she could relate to in terms of bullying, or the engine she loved more than anything in the world who was now the last of his kind.

The Fat Controller was about to leave his office to go to M.C. BUNN, when suddenly the telephone rang. "Uh..." he groaned, as he picked up the phone. "Hello...what did you say?!"

Meanwhile Thomas was puffing down the line with Annie and Clarabel, he was still fuming about Rosie. "She shouldn't be here," he huffed, "if she thinks she's going to replace me, then she has another thing coming!"

"She's not going to replace you, Thomas," said Clarabel. "You know the Fat Controller would never get rid of you, Thomas," added Annie. Thomas paid no attention. He pulled into Tidmouth and spotted Rosie in a siding looking miserable. She glanced over at Thomas and quickly puffed away. Thomas was about give Rosie another harsh insult, when he could have sworn he saw a tear running down her face.

"_She looks so sad. Have I really been that harsh to her?_" thought Thomas. Somewhere in his boiler, Thomas started to feel a tiny twinge of guilt.

At Knapford Emily had just delivered some tar wagons to the yard, when Rosie crept into the yard and buffered up to some flatbeds of pipes that were to be taken to the Docks. She looked just as sad as ever. Emily puffed up to her. "Hey Rosie, you alright?"

Rosie didn't look up. "I've had enough, Emily..." she said. "I can't take anymore of this. I don't belong here and I never did, but that's going to change."

Emily was surprised and confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm leaving Sodor forever!" declared Rosie. Emily gasped. "What?! Rosie are you insane? That won't fix anything!"

"Yes it will," retorted Rosie, "I'm the reason why Thomas is so depressed and angry right now, I'm the reason why he thinks he's going to be scrapped, and if he wants me off this island then he will get what he wants, and these pipes are just the ticket I need!" and with a stern toot of her whistle, Rosie puffed out of the yards towards the Docks.

"Rosie, stop! You're making a mistake, come back!" cried Emily. But Rosie didn't stop, she raced away as fast as her wheels could carry her, right past Thomas who just pulled into the yards. Emily knew that if she wanted any chance to stop Rosie then she had to convince Thomas to forgive her.

"Thomas, you have to stop Rosie now!"

"What? Why should I?"

"Rosie is leaving the island!" exclaimed Emily.

"So? Good riddance! She never belonged here anyway!" snorted Thomas and he tried to move away, but Emily backed over the points and blocked his way. "How can you say that? She didn't do anything to you."

"Didn't do anything to me?! She got all my brothers scrapped, it's her fault they're all gone!"

With that Emily had had enough, she surged forward and bumped Thomas fiercely backwards into a set of buffers. Thomas hit the buffers painfully, but he was more shocked than hurt by Emily's sudden physical action, which was quickly followed by another bump, which nearly smashed the buffers to pieces. When he looked into her eyes, Thomas saw that they were stern and serious.

"Listen to me, Rosie had absolutely nothing to do with any of this. She didn't know anything about her siblings replacing yours, none of this is her fault. Throughout these last few days you've been putting Rosie through the exact same pain I felt when Gordon and James tortured me. She's been feeling nothing but guilt because she thinks she's responsible for your brothers being scrapped and now she's going to leave Sodor forever because you made her feel so scared and guilty, just like I did when I made that terrible decision."

The look in Emily's eyes turned from stern and serious to one of hurt and sadness, as tears began to form in them. "Can't you see what you've done? You're making the same mistake I made by taking all your anger out on someone else and you've been making Rosie suffer the same pain that Gordon and James put me through." The floodgates were then opened. "You're a good engine, don't do this. Don't make the same mistake I did, don't repeat the damage you caused at the quarry by letting Rosie get away, don't let your emotions take over you like I did. This isn't who you are, Thomas...please, stop."

Thomas was completely silent. He looked back on everything he had done to Rosie these last few days. Emily was right, he lost himself in his emotions and vented them all out on Rosie and bullied her just Gordon and James did to Emily. He had become what he had so desperately tried to find out for years. Instead of hate and anger, Thomas started to feel an overpowering sense of guilt for treating Rosie like a monster. When he saw her at Tidmouth, those tears he saw on her face were because of how cruel he was to her.

He was almost about to cry from all the guilt he felt. "Oh no. What have I done?!" Emily could tell by the look in his eyes that Thomas regretted everything he had done and how sorry he was. "You have to stop Rosie from getting on that ship, Thomas. Please don't let this happen," she pleaded and backed up so he could get out. As Thomas puffed out of the siding, he stopped just in front of her and looked at her with teary eyes. "You really are an angel, Emily," and he raced away, leaving Emily behind, while she blushed at his comment.

* * *

By now Rosie was minutes away from entering the Docks. She was crying to herself softly. She thought she would love living on Sodor, but now that she knew the terrible truth about what her siblings had done to Thomas', she couldn't stay where she was causing nothing but pain to the engine who she thought she had feelings for. If getting off the island would make Thomas better, then so be it.

Thomas was rocketing down the track as fast as his wheels could carry him. His pistons pounded and pumped, his firebox flared and his boiler bubbled. Bertie was waiting at the level crossing. As the gates opened, Thomas came rushing towards him. "Get out of the way, Bertie!" Bertie saw Thomas heading towards him and braked hard, Thomas shot past him. "Watch out!" shouted Bertie, and chased after Thomas.

Thomas heard Bertie's horn, behind him, as Bertie raced alongside him. "I don't have time for races, Bertie!" shouted Thomas.

"Thomas, slow down! Look in front of you!" cried Bertie. Thomas looked up, workmen were working the track, but luckily the points were set onto the other track. Thomas ran onto the down line, where there was even more trouble. Thomas had ran past a red signal and he saw Donald coming down on the same track as him. Thomas whistled urgently to the signalman. "Express coming through!" The signalman switched the points onto the loop siding. Donald applied his brakes, but Thomas ran onto the loop just in time. "Thomas!" shouted Donald, but Thomas kept on going and soon he was back on the up line again.

Rosie had reached the Docks and rolled over to Cranky. "You took your time!" he cranked as he started to unload the pipes. Rosie spoke up. "Cranky, I'm going on this ship as well." Cranky was surprised. "What?!"

Thomas was still racing recklessly towards the Docks, he raced past another junction just as Douglas was coming down branch line, he screeched to stop as Thomas shot past. "Watch out, ya daft twit!" Thomas was getting closer and closer to the Docks. As he ran through the coastal cliffs, he heard a big, loud horn in the distance, echoing around the cliffs. Thomas knew what it was; the ship's horn. "NO!" He pumped his pistons faster than he had ever done before, he wasn't going to let the ship beat him.

Cranky had just loaded the last of the pipes onto the ship, now the only thing left was Rosie herself. "Are you sure you're suppose to be on this ship, Rosie?" he asked.

"Yes, Cranky," said Rosie firmly. "I have to leave Sodor, it's the only way I can make Thomas happy, by leaving Sodor for good." Cranky was still unsure of this. "OK... if you say so." and he lowered his hook so he could lift Rosie onto the ship.

At last Thomas could see the Docks in front of him, whistling loudly he pumped his pistons faster and faster and finally made it into the port, just as Cranky started to lift Rosie up into the air. Thomas raced past Salty. "Woah! Slow down, matey!" but Thomas ignored Salty and puffed on. Cranky had lifted Rosie as high as he could and was just about to lower her onto the ship,

"STOP!" Thomas finally rounded the bend just in time. Cranky and Rosie were surprised. "Stop Cranky! Put her down!" shouted Thomas.

"This is what you wanted, isn't it, Thomas?" said Rosie, "You said you wanted me off the island, so I'm granting your wish for you."

"No, Rosie, please listen. I'm sorry I said and did to you, I was angry and upset and I put all the blame on you and made you think it was your fault my brothers were scrapped. But I realized you had nothing to do with it and I've been nothing but cruel to you. I'm sorry," apologized Thomas, he was close to crying. "I'm really sorry. Please, come down."

Even though Rosie was high in the sky, she could see the truth and honesty in Thomas' eyes and the sincerity in his voice. She gave a little smile. "...Cranky, put me down."

"Oh for God's sake! Completely wasted my time! Honestly, why do I even bother with you engines?!" cranked Cranky, as he lowered Rosie back onto the rails. Emily puffed into the Docks just as Rosie touched the rails again. "Oh thank Godred, you stopped her, Thomas."

"Just barely," sighed Thomas.

Then, climbing down from Emily's cab was the Fat Controller. Thomas gasped. "S-sir, I can explain-," The Fat Controller raised his hand. "There's nothing to explain, Thomas. Emily told me everything and I know that despite everything you've done these past few days, you truly do regret all of it. While I cannot approve of everything you've done to Rosie, I can say that I knew you would have that reaction once I told you. But, I have no intention of scrapping you and I am proud of you for going to such lengths to apologize to Rosie and stop her from leaving."

He then turned his attention to Rosie. "And speaking of which, Rosie, you'd better not try and pull another stunt like that again." Rosie looked ashamed. "No, sir, I won't, sir."

"There's nothing you should feel guilty about, Rosie, what happened happened and it's not your fault."

"But still, sir, because of all my siblings, all of..."

"All of my mine are dead..." finished Thomas sadly.

"...not all of them..." said the Fat Controller suddenly. Thomas, Emily and Rosie stared at him.

"I don't understand, sir, you said all of my siblings were scrapped," said Thomas.

"...I said all your _brothers_ had been scrapped, Thomas."

"But, all my siblings were brothers, sir." replied Thomas, who was still confused. Emily however seemed to realize what the Fat Controller was trying to say.

"That's what I thought as well," said the Fat Controller, "but, only this afternoon I received a call from the Mainland, and it turns out that after I purchased you, Thomas, they built one more engine at Brighton, and that engine has been working at Southampton Docks for years, and it's going to scrapped in a few days time..." he paused. "...the engine is in fact...your sister, Thomas."

There was silence in the Docks, as everyone was speechless, even Cranky, but Thomas most of all. "_A sister?_" he kept repeating in his mind, all these years he had a sister, he thought all of his siblings were brothers, when all this time he had a sister he never knew about.

"I have a sister?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, Thomas. But, before she is scrapped, her former owner has allowed her to see you for a short while before she is scrapped. She'll be waiting for you at Vicarstown-" Before the Fat Controller even finished his sentence, Thomas was already racing away. "Thomas, wait for us!" cried Emily, while she, Rosie and the Fat Controller followed after him.

Thomas raced like the wind, up the main line, determined to get to Vicarstown on time to see his long lost sister for the first time. At last he arrived at the bridge. It was rolling bridge, which lifted up to allow ships to travel through. It was the very edge of the Fat Controller's railway, on the other side of the bridge was the Mainland.

The bridge was up, as a ship was passing through, so Thomas couldn't see what was on the other side. Thomas tried to whistle to see if anyone was on the other side, but as he did the ship blasted it's horn and drowned out Thomas' whistle.

Emily, Rosie and the Fat Controller arrived at the bridge. "Is she there yet?" asked Emily.

"I don't know, I've been waiting for this ship to pass." replied Thomas. "Come on, move quicker!"

Finally, the bridge started to come down. _"This is it,"_ thought Thomas. The bridge lowered completely and everyone gasped. On the other side of the bridge, was a little tank engine who looked just like Thomas. It had six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy funnel, a short boiler and a short stumpy dome, just like Thomas. It had teal-green paintwork and white linings, with the letters LBSC on it's tanks - exactly the same as how Thomas looked when he arrived on Sodor. It's face, while similar to Thomas', was more feminine and had small distinctive eyelashes.

"She's the spitting image of you, Thomas." whispered Emily.

"Is that you use to look like, Thomas?" asked Rosie, quietly.

"...yes..." said Thomas, he was staggered, in front of him was his sister, the only one of his siblings he had seen since he left Brighton all those years ago. The engine puffed slowly towards them. When she stopped, they could see that she was nervous. At last, she spoke. "H-hello, Thomas, I-I'm your little sister, Emma. It's so great to finally meet you"

Thomas still didn't know what to say. He had a name for her. "...H-hello, Emma...it's great to finally meet you too."

"Aren't you going to introduce me to everyone?"

"Er, well, the one behind me is Rosie," said Thomas, not mentioning anything about her siblings.

"H-hello," said Rosie quietly.

"And this man here is my controller, Sir Topham Hatt."

"A good evening to you."

"And who's your very pretty friend?" Emma asked, referring to Emily. That made Emily feel flattered and made Thomas blush slightly.

"...this is Emily," Thomas finally said.

"H-hello," said Emily. "Hey, we have similar names," giggled Emma. "I suppose we do," laughed Emily, a little uneasily.

Emma told them that when she was built, she use to hear stories about her brothers, the ones that intrigued her the most were the about Thomas and how he went to Sodor. Since then, she worked at Southampton Docks as a shunter. Throughout her years of service, she continued to hear stories about Thomas and some of his famous escapades. She told them it had been her dream to meet Thomas someday. But unfortunately, one by one, the rest of her brothers were all replaced by other engines, she didn't know that Rosie was a member of the class who replaced them and then they were scrapped and now she was going to be scrapped as well. Emily and Rosie were almost in tears as they listened to her sad story, Rosie felt overwhelmingly guilty again, even though she knew it wasn't her fault. Emily was crying because of how sad it was that such a innocent engine like Emma was going to be scrapped, but mostly because she knew this was agonizing for Thomas.

"I know that's there's nothing that can be done to save me from the smelters, I can say that I've lived a good life and I hold no regrets," said Emma, as she started to cry. Thomas had been holding back his tears from the moment he saw her. It wasn't fair, even though he had only learned about her well over an hour ago, she was still his sister and this was the only chance he would ever have to see her.

"It's not fair. All these years, I never even knew you existed, and now, I finally get to meet you and it's the only time I will ever see you," he said, struggling to hold back his tears.

"I wish we could have had more time to together too, Thomas, but I've cherished what little time we've had together. While I don't want this happen and I know this will be difficult for you to accept that you will be the last of us, just remember, Thomas, to enjoy the rest of your life and keep mine and our brothers spirits alive, and prove that you are the best of us. You have a famous branch line and a wonderful home, please cherish them forever," said Emma, as tears began to form in her eyes. Now Thomas could hardly contain his emotions, as his lips began to quiver. Emily and Rosie started crying fresh tears as well.

"...I will..." Thomas finally replied, "...I promise..."

Emma smiled through her tears and she buffered up to her big brother."Do you know what the best part about this is?" she asked. "Even though I'm going to die, my life long wish has finally come true...now I can rest in peace, knowing that I finally got to meet my big brother, Thomas...I love you Thomas."

Thomas couldn't hold the tears back anymore, the floodgates opened and ran down his face, the mere sight broke Emily's heart, as she felt every bit of pain chipping away at her beloveds heart.

"...I...I love you too, Emma..." weeped Thomas. The entire moment was heart wrenching. A brother and sister, separated from each their entire lives and were complete strangers to each other. And now they finally met face to face, for the first and final time. Fate couldn't have been crueler. They were now going to be separated from each other once again, forever. Their embrace was the heartbreaking scene anyone had ever witnessed, the sadness was amplified by the two siblings, the last two of their kind, soon to be only one, holding each other closely, wanting this moment where they were finally together to never end. But fate was too cruel and Thomas would lose his only sister by death.

"...Goodbye, Thomas, my brother..." Emma weeped, giving Thomas one last smile, before she blew her whistle and puffed slowly back onto the Mainland, away from her brothers hold. Thomas was about to go after her, but the Fat Controller put his hand on one of Thomas' buffers and shook his head. Even he had been crying throughout the event. Thomas just watched Emma puff away. "G-goodbye, Emma...my sister..." Those were the painful and heart wrenching words Thomas had ever said. As soon as Emma was out of sight, Thomas lost himself completely and made no attempt to stop crying or sobbing at all. He was now going to be the only one of his class in the world.

Emily came up beside Thomas. "Oh, Thomas," she said sadly, she was going to give him all the comfort he needed to get through this heartbreaking moment of his life. "...Emily..." he sobbed. Rosie felt her heart breaking as well. It wasn't her fault, but once again, she felt she was responsible for this whole thing and causing Thomas so much pain and causing Emma and the rest of Thomas' siblings to be scrapped.

Throughout the night, Thomas kept on crying and crying and crying, while Emily stood by him and comforted him all night. It would take a very long time for Thomas to recover from it, but Emily was determined to help him through it, just like he promised to help her...

In another part of the island, two engines were plotting a dark and devious plan. "We have the perfect ammunition, this is the perfect opportunity to strike."

"In just a few more days, we will finally get make that blue tin kettle pay for what he did. At last we will have..."

"...revenge..."

* * *

OK, please don't hate me for doing this, but I wanted to do something different with the 'Rosie's class replaced Thomas' plot and so I made my own OC Emma, tell me what you think of her don't hate because i killed her, all of Thomas' class the E2's were all scrapped, bar Thomas, and I wanted to stay true to that.

In other news, you may have noticed the new icon for my stories, well I want to give a big shout to Rosie Angelina who was so kind to make it for me, Rosie you are amazing and I hope you liked this chapter.

So once again, leave a review and I will see you whenever.


	13. Revenge of the Diesels

Over the next course of time, after meeting Emma for the first and only time before her being scrapped, Thomas was very sad and very lonely. He would cry for several minutes at a time with Emily buffered up to comfort him. Thomas was so racked by remorse, he couldn't pull trains without being emotionally disturbed. Emily had requested to be taken off duty so that she could look after and comfort Thomas at all times. The Fat Controller had to fill in Oliver to do Thomas' work and Molly to do Emily's work. The days passed. With no work assigned to them, Thomas and Emily would go everywhere together just to observe the island and rest easy. Every time they passed Rosie, Thomas kept apologizing tearfully to her. Every night, Thomas kept crying, sobbing and shuddering with pure, intensifying sadness all while Emily stayed buffered up to him and kept him warm in her hold.

"I miss them, Emily…m-my brothers…and…E-Emma…why did they have to l-leave?" Thomas heaved one night. He struggled to hold back his tears, but it did no good. He suddenly yelled out and started crying so hard, he was shaking. Emily buffered up until her nose touched his as she tried to calm him.

"Shh…Thomas…it's OK to cry. I'm always here for you…It's OK, Thomas…Shh…you'll be alright," Emily whispered.

As Thomas kept crying, Emily kept hushing softly and whispering that she'd stay with him. Thomas eventually cried himself to sleep. Emily whispered, "I'll stay with you all night, Thomas. You're safe with me…" and soon, she fell asleep too, making sure Thomas could feel she was there.

The next morning, Thomas opened his eyes. In his blurred vision, for one happy moment he thought Emma had come back. "Emma?" he cried with hope. But…he looked again…It was just Percy leaving with the mail, and he remembered she was being scrapped. Later that day, while Thomas and Emily were side-by-side in the yards in silent tears, Gordon came towards them, looking sadder and more miserable than he ever looked. A postman stepped down with a letter. He opened it and showed it to Thomas. It read:

_"FROM THE MAINLAND SMELTERS YARDS_

_Dear Thomas,_  
_We deeply regret to inform you that Emma_  
_is now officially scrapped. She was not afraid._  
_She simply shut her eyes and smiled as it was all carried out._  
_We couldn't bear to watch so we left before we saw anything._  
_But just before she was put through the end,_  
_she gave her last words to say to you through this letter._

_"Give my love to the Steam Team and all your friends._  
_I've never been happier to meet you, Thomas. I love you with all my heart. I love you…Forever."-_

_We are all filled with remorse that this had to happen. We wish you good luck. Regards."_

Thomas didn't shout out, but even as he read, tears kept dripping and pouring out of his eyes, soaking the tracks and ground around him. Gordon slowly came forward and gently touched Thomas' buffers...for the first time ever, Thomas saw the big blue engine in tears.

"…I'm so sorry…Truly I am…" Gordon murmured. Without another word, he backed up and steamed quietly back to the out-of-use siding to continue his punishment with James.

Thomas looked over to Emily. "What is it, Thomas?" she asked, although she was very sure she knew the answer. "…We lost, Emily...no more engines like me…Emma's dead. I need to be alone." The words made Emily's boiler feel frozen. He puffed silently away, leaving Emily in quiet tears. As soon as Thomas stopped at Black Loch, he looked at the sky, and shrieked through his tears in pure anguish and pain. "AAAAHHHH! Emma! EMMA! …NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!"

His sobs echoed across the cliffs. As he sped away around the island, still wailing his broken heart out, all the engines could hear it and they all felt so sorry for Thomas. Even the diesels were in despair over this turn of events. "Poor Thomas," they all moaned.

The word kept spreading all across Sodor.

"Oh dear, what a deep, penetrating shame. Thomas won't let this go…" said Edward as he and Henry passed through the forest. "It's so sad…they were such wonderful engines…now our Thomas is the only one left," said Henry.

At Arlesdale End, Percy and Toby talked of it too. "We never met his siblings, Toby…they would have liked us."

"They certainly would have…may they be blessed," murmured Toby.

The topic was relevant at Topham Hall too. "I'd give anything in the world just to bring them back…it's not fair for poor Thomas to suffer like this," said the Fat Controller. Lady Hatt put her arm around him. "Oh, my dear Bertram, I know how you feel, and we have to help Thomas in any way we can."

Even Gordon and James at the out-of-use siding, still serving their punishment talked about it…

"Oh, the Despair…Little Engines really are special. Why were we so foolish towards Emily…and all the other engines in the past? Why?" said Gordon, shamefully.

"We were too blind in our false fame to see their feelings, Gordon. We're not as important as we think. But right now, I don't want to even think of the pain Thomas is going through now. He'll feel SO lonely for weeks or even months." With that, the two engines fell silent and simply waited out their punishment.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Dieselworks, after several weeks of being condemned to damage beyond imagining, 'Arry and Bert were at long last repaired. By now, they had regained their strength and had the perfect chance to get back at Thomas, but even to this day, although they had many possibilities in mind, they still hadn't decided exactly how to repay him.

As they left the Dieselworks, they stopped at a goods yard and saw a workman holding the morning newspaper. One of the headlines spoke of Thomas now being the last of his engine-class and Emma's tragic fate.

"Oi, Bert," whispered 'Arry. "Take a gander." When Bert oversaw what Arry meant, he snickered at the discovery.

"After what he did to us, with this event pulling at his mind, I know just what to do," Arry hissed. "First, we tease him to no end over being near extinction, then…we'll send him down along with the rest. We start tonight." It was agreed. 'Arry and Bert went on their way to find Thomas.

As the evening began to fall, Thomas had returned to Emily, looking like he had allergies. His eyes were deep pink, his voice was hoarse, and he couldn't even sniffle, he was so stuffed up. He suddenly sneezed loudly, letting out a great deal of ash through his funnel. Luckily, Emily hid inside the shed and avoided the ash. Now Thomas could sniffle again, but just as he resumed his sadness, he and Emily heard one sound that switched their distraught to pure fury. The sound of a diesel horn. It was 'Arry and Bert. They came oiling into the yards with sneering smirks on their faces.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't the last tank engine of his kind," oiled 'Arry.

Despite his distraught emotions, Thomas couldn't cry anymore. His fury was much stronger at this point.

"AWAY! YOU HEARTLESS WRETCHES!" He shrieked, steaming loudly in their direction. Emily remembered when he attacked these two traitors to defend her and recalled that event.

"Hey, smelly-wheels!" she called. "This poor engine is the last of his kind, but I believe you don't want to be smashed to smithereens again!"

"Yes, we tried to tease your spirit…to no avail," said Bert. "But this time, we tease him back…and he can't do anything to us now!"

Now Bert was partly right. Thomas did promise to the Fat Controller he would never do such a thing again…and Thomas was not going to break this promise.

"Leave us be, or we'll get the Fat Controller on your cases! You're NOT gonna like that!" snapped Emily.

'Arry and Bert groaned with annoyance. They knew the Fat Controller could be a good interference with their revenge. After they scared Thomas and Emily on Halloween, they were punished by collecting the iron and steel in Thomas and Emily's place. They'd have to plan a little more carefully…

"Very well. We'll leave you be…for now," 'Arry said, with a tiny smile as he and Bert oiled away. Emily whistled loudly after them, expressing her irritation, then she turned back to Thomas.

"How will we keep them in line, Emily?" asked Thomas. "I can't attack them again…I promised the Fat Controller."

Emily smiled. "We don't just need the Fat Controller…didn't you once have trouble with a policeman, long before I came here?"

"Yes…" said Thomas.

"Well, if those grease-puddles push too far and do the unthinkable, we could get their help," said Emily.

Despite Thomas' problem with that one policeman all those years ago, he had good affiliations with police in general. He thought this was a very thoughtful idea. If the Fat Controller's orders wouldn't keep a bad engine in line, the police definitely could. Thomas and Emily backed into their berths, wished each other goodnight and fell asleep.

* * *

As the Knapford clock struck 1:00 a.m., the rumbling sound of an engine loomed through the station. 'Arry and Bert had come back and this time, they had planned their true revenge. They had also got a good wash so their smell wouldn't be too well recognized and had all their joints oiled so they wouldn't clank so much.

"Go get him, Bert," said 'Arry. "But be very quiet."

"With pleasure, mate," said Bert. He went on his way, as slowly and quietly as he could until he reached Tidmouth Sheds. Unfortunately, Bert got lucky as the turntable was open to Thomas' berth. Bert oiled across the turntable so quietly, it woke up none of the engines. He buffered to Thomas then very sneakily inched out of the sheds, being extra careful not to wake him up. He returned to 'Arry at Knapford and as Thomas let out a snore, 'Arry whispered vengefully, "Fare thee well, puffball."

With that, the twins set off slowly and silently along the line, intending to go to the Smelters.

But as they went along, they didn't notice Rosie, crying a little herself over Emma's end. She saw the approaching lights and saw the diesels shunting the sleeping Thomas along toward another line.

"What are you two doing?" she called after them. 'Arry and Bert stopped. "Grease and oil! She spotted us!" they whispered. "Hurry!" They went fast now, waking Thomas up. When he saw 'Arry in front of him, he was furious but also a little frightened.

"What are you grease-puddles DOING?!" he demanded. "Getting Revenge! It's to the incinerator with you!" cackled Bert. Then Thomas saw an orange flash on beside Arry. When he looked to his right, he saw the Smelters factory, issuing sparks and flames from within. Thomas screamed with terror as 'Arry and Bert went on, then he saw Rosie, staring in awe and shock.

"ROSIE!" Thomas shrieked. "GET HELP, GET THE FAT CONTROLLER! GO! GO!" Rosie snapped out of her shock and took off as quick as her wheels would go as Thomas fought to escape to no avail.

Rosie rushed through the yards and stations until she reached Tidmouth Sheds. She whistled loudly, waking Emily up.

"Rosie, what are you doing, stirring up the island?!" Emily complained, flustered over being woken up. "Emily, I need your help! Thomas is in terrible trouble! 'Arry and Bert are taking him to the Smelters! They're going to melt him down!"

Emily gasped and looked beside her. Thomas wasn't there. "THOMAS! NO!" she wailed. Rosie backed off the turntable, letting Emily rush through.

"Rosie, go get the Fat Controller and tell him to alert the police!" Emily said as tears flooded her eyes. While she sped off to help Thomas, Rosie sped along the line until she saw Topham Hall. "Sir! SIR! Wake up!" Rosie howled. She saw a light come on and the Fat Controller came down to her, wearing his pajamas and black jacket.

"What's all this fuss?" he asked. "Thomas is going to be melted down! 'Arry and Bert have captured him! We need to get the police for help!" Rosie wailed. The Fat Controller immediately shook all sleepiness out of himself. "Go find Emily and stall those diesels however you can!" he ordered. Rosie was off in a flash and the Fat Controller phoned the police to warn them.

* * *

'Arry and Bert were side-by-side and had successfully got Thomas to the Smelters and hitched him to the claw. Thomas kept screaming with deep, intensifying fear as the claw lifted him up towards the cauldron. Although it was not yet lit, Thomas squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the end. The Diesels began to laugh with triumph, scaring Thomas to the point of fainting. But as soon as the diesels paused for breath, 'Arry suddenly went bursting forward and crashed into a pile of rusted metal. He rolled around and was turned right around, facing Bert. He slid down the pile back onto the rails and asked Bert, "Who did that?!"

"I did!" said a distinctive female voice. 'Arry looked ahead of himself and saw Emily, wearing a face of fury and bravery. "That's for teasing me a few weeks ago!" she shouted.

"Emily!" cheered Thomas. "You came for me!"

"THIS is for Thomas!" shouted another voice, considerably higher than Emily's. Bert suddenly burst forward, crashing into another pile, turning him around facing the same way 'Arry was. Alongside Emily came Rosie.

"They're on their way," she said to Emily. Emily let out a deep sigh of relief. But then she and Rosie turned their attention to the diesels.

"You two are monsters!" they shouted in unison. "Thomas is now the only engine of his kind left and YOU try to wipe out that engine class after the Fat Controller promised he would never scrap him!"

The diesels laughed and replied, "Steamies are foolish, cowardly and weak! And HE will pay for what he did to us!"

"You will NOT win!" shouted Emily. "Diesels will NEVER take over this railway, and you know it!"

Suddenly another noise made all five engines fall silent. Two squad cars came tearing towards them and their sirens were blaring loudly. When the cars pulled up alongside the engines, the sirens stopped, but the lights were still flashing like lightning. Four policeman exited the first car, and from the second car, out came the Chief of Police and the Fat Controller. Rosie and Emily secretly smiled to each other while 'Arry and Bert merely trembled.

"Hello, hello, hello," said the Chief of Police sternly. "And what's going on here?"

Emily's driver and fireman stepped down from her cab and explained everything. Emily followed through with how the two diesels teased Thomas over the loss of all his siblings and how they tried to sneak him to where they were so they could melt him down. All 'Arry and Bert could do was shake at the thoughts of their fate.

The Fat Controller was impossibly furious with 'Arry and Bert. "You two have caused too much trouble on the island to be really useful! You trapped Percy and James in the middle of your trains, scared Fergus at the Smelters, frightened Thomas and Emily to no end, teased Emily's spirit without thinking about how she'd feel, and now, you try to destroy Thomas, my number 1! He has suffered too much over losing his siblings. I will NEVER scrap him…but I AM going to put YOU to rights! Rosie, pick up some white paint-pots!" he demanded. Rosie left for the Steamworks and in twenty minutes, she was back with the white paint-pots.

"Thank you, Rosie," said the Fat Controller. "What are these for, sir?" asked Rosie. "You'll know why tomorrow...at two sheds," the Fat Controller replied.

Then he told Thomas, Emily and Rosie to go off on their own. Workmen took control of the claw and lowered Thomas back to the rails. Emily buffered up to Thomas, facing him while Rosie buffered from behind.

"Sir," Emily said through tears of relief and fright at the same time. "Will Thomas be safe? I don't want this to EVER happen to him again."

"Once I'm done with the diesels, you won't have to worry about that anymore," promised the Fat Controller.

Emily and Rosie smiled as they both helped Thomas away from the Smelters and back to Tidmouth Sheds. As Emily backed into her berth, Rosie helped Thomas onto the turntable and let him turn around. Then he backed into the berth next to Emily. He was still shocked over his rescue as Rosie came up towards him.

"Thank you, Emily," Thomas gasped. "And thank you, Rosie. You two saved my life. I couldn't bear to die and fall with my siblings. I have a promise to keep to Emma." He looked sad, but felt controlled enough not to cry.

Rosie smiled cutely. "You're welcome, Thomas. I'm very sorry about Emma, but…you're like a big brother to me." Thomas knew Rosie wasn't at fault for his sibling's demise, so he couldn't be angry. He actually felt a little touched by this statement.

"Well…thank you, Rosie. I'd like to say goodnight to you. I will always be grateful for your help."

"Bye-bye!" chirped Rosie as she backed up and went on her way. Although Emily was nervous about Rosie's feelings for Thomas, she had to admit that Rosie did play a vital role in saving Thomas from death or even worse, extinction of his class.

Sometime later, Thomas and Emily saw a light coming round the bend, but there was also a person's shadow within the light. The person was revealed to be the Chief of Police, walking slowly alongside the line with a stern, no-nonsense expression, and the light behind him was an engine's headlamp. Henry came very slowly around the bend, matching the walking pace of the chief.

Thomas and Emily suddenly saw what Henry was pulling. He had two flatbeds, and on them were 'Arry and Bert, both covered in thick, iron chains. Now Thomas could see why Rosie was sent for the white paint. Along the black stripes on Arry and Bert, the yellow stripes were repainted white. Black-and-white stripes could only mean one thing for these diesels…the reason was on a sign nailed to 'Arry's flatbed. It read: "DIESELS CONDEMNED TO CONFINEMENT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE."

"Cinders and ashes!" Thomas and Emily whispered together. "The diesels are being locked up!" And they were. Late that night, 'Arry and Bert, still bound in chains were locked up in separate, ramshackle sheds with no windows. Signs were placed on both sheds reading: "DANGER: Devious Diesels. DO NOT OPEN."

Henry came back to Tidmouth Sheds some time later. As he backed into his berth, he told Thomas and Emily about the diesels, making them both very happy. After Henry went to sleep, Emily turned round on the turntable and buffered up to Thomas.

"I can't believe this almost happened to you, Thomas!" gasped Emily. "But you're safe with me, and the Fat Controller will keep you safe too."

Thomas smiled, feeling very sleepy over all the energy he had spent. "Thank you, Emily. Ever since you first came here, your presence makes me feel very safe…and warm too."

Emily giggled softly and touched her nose to Thomas'. "Everything's OK, Thomas. Just go to sleep and relax now," she whispered. "I'm here...and I'll keep you warm and safe."

"Goodnight, Emily. You're so beautiful," Thomas whispered as he fell asleep at once.

"Goodnight, Tommy," Emily whispered very quietly so the others wouldn't hear her and she fell asleep too, with her beautiful smile on her face. The two engines now knew they'd have nothing to fear for a very long time. And as Thomas slept, he drifted off into dreamland and had many dreams of seeing his brothers and sister again. He knew that although they were gone, their spirits still existed and he would always keep those spirits alive...just like he promised Emma.

* * *

Rejoice everybody, "Thomas and Emily's Relationship" is FINALLY back and running again, you can stop all the riots and put down those torches because it's still alive. So for now our main focus in terms of stories is this one, but you will still be getting a separate story on Fridays so look forward to them. Now though I want to thank you all so much for waiting and I'll see you all next time with "Emily's Rubbish", also don't forget to leave a review here first.


	14. Emily's Rubbish

It had been a good number of weeks after 'Arry and Bert tried to lay vengeance upon Thomas. Now, they were both isolated and locked up in two dark sheds. Thomas had also gotten over most of his grief of losing his siblings, thanks to the dreams he'd had of them. Gordon and James were also back in business after idling in the out-of-use siding for torturing Emily for too long.

Emily is a grand green engine. She's very proud of her big wheels, and her perfect polished paintwork, one day, Emily was very excited. The Fat Controller had told her to work with a new engine. "I hope he's smart and useful!" she wheeshed. Emily met her favorite engine and savior, Thomas, waiting at a signal.

"The new engine is waiting for you at the shunting yards!" whistled Thomas. "I can't wait to meet him," puffed Emily. And she chuffed away as fast as her boiler could bubble. Emily steamed into the shunting yards to look for the new engine. He had spectacles over his eyes, and was also the dirtiest little engine she had ever seen! He reeked with the smell of rubbish.

"Hello, Emily!" wheeshed the new engine happily. "My name's Whiff, because I'm a bit smelly. You're going to help me collect rubbish."

Emily was horrified. "Whew! Come on then," she sighed. "Let's get started." She and Whiff went on their way. Emily was definitely not expecting a smelly engine, or to be working with a smelly train.

Gordon was talking to James and Henry in a siding. When they saw Emily with Whiff, they laughed.

"Hello!" whistled Whiff. "Who's your smelly new friend with the funny whistle, Emily?" snorted James.

"We smelt you coming for miles!" wheeshed Gordon grandly. "My name's Whiff," whistled Whiff.

"It suits you," laughed Henry. "Whew!"

Emily was very embarrassed. She hurried away. Whiff puffed after her. When they both disappeared around the bend, Henry looked crossly at Gordon and James. "What has gotten into you two?!" he snorted. "Whiff may smell funny, but collecting rubbish is important! You will not start hurting Emily again just after you come back in business! You haven't heard the end of this!" and he steamed away in a huff to find Thomas. Gordon and James merely laughed at this.

Up the line, Emily and Whiff passed more engines. Amongst them was Murdoch, but also, two engine Emily had given trouble once: Molly and Neville. When they saw Whiff, they all laughed too. Emily was tired of being teased…but she also somewhat accepted it. She had laughed at Molly and was unfairly angry at Neville upon their arrivals and now she knew how they must have felt. But right now, she wanted to be by herself so she wouldn't have too many wounds be reopened. "I must get away from Whiff!" she huffed.

Emily pumped her pistons. "Wait for me!" whistled Whiff. But Emily wasn't going to wait for Whiff, and soon, Whiff was a long way behind. Emily was glad Whiff had gone. "It's not my fault he can't keep up," she huffed. She secretly felt bad for Whiff. She liked his appearance and didn't mind that he was dirty, but she didn't want to be thrown back to her bad ways from more teasing.

Later, Emily had to wait for Elizabeth at a crossing. "Where's this new engine?" honked Elizabeth grandly.

"Uh…he got lost," wheeshed Emily, trying to avoid more teasing. "No, I didn't!" whistled Whiff cheerfully from the other side. "Hello!"

"Oh," sniffed Elizabeth. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend?" But Emily didn't want anything more to do with Whiff. She chuffed away as fast as her pistons would pump. "Wait for me!" whistled Whiff cheerfully.

Up ahead, Emily saw a branch line. "_Maybe if I puff down here, Whiff won't see me,_" she thought. And Whiff didn't see Emily. He puffed past on the main line. Emily puffed all along the Fat Controller's railway. She tried to hide from Whiff. But still, everywhere Emily went, Whiff always found her. In every tunnel, and in every siding. At last, Emily escaped from Whiff.

"Thank goodness!" she wheeshed. "Now no one will laugh at me for working with such a smelly engine." At first, she was relieved. She had more chance of keeping her kind self, but up ahead, she saw Spencer. He was very cross. "I'm meant to be taking the Duke and Duchess of Boxford to an important lunch!" huffed Spencer. "But my way is blocked by all these smelly rubbish trucks!"

"Flatten my funnel!" steamed Emily, wrinkling up her nose from the stench. They were the rubbish trucks that Emily and Whiff should have cleared earlier. "Someone will have to move them!" sniffed Spencer. Emily knew that was her job. "Ohh! I suppose I'll have to move them! Ugh!" she shuddered. Emily buffered up. She pulled as hard as she could. But the trucks were much too heavy to move on her own.

Just then, Gordon chuffed past. Emily was desperate for help, so she called out to her former biggest enemy, "Can you help me move these rubbish trucks? Please?"

"Me?!" snorted Gordon. "Hmph! Certainly not!" Ironically, Emily was relieved. At least he didn't insult her again. Then she heard another whistle. It was James coming up from behind.

"Can you help me move these rubbish trucks, James?" peeped Emily. "Ugh! No thank you," wheeshed James. Despite not being teased or laughed at, Emily was upset. "I'm still waiting!" huffed Spencer, impatiently. "If Whiff was here, he'd be happy to help me," Emily sighed. "He wanted to be my friend, but I wasn't kind to him. I must find him and say sorry."

Emily looked high and low for Whiff, but he was nowhere to be seen. She may have not been bossy or rude to him, but avoiding a new friend was a very silly and wrong thing to do. Then at last, she heard Whiffs funny whistle. He was amongst a few trucks.

"Hello, Emily!" whistled Whiff cheerfully. "I was wondering where you'd got to!"

"I'm sorry I ran away from you," puffed Emily. "That's alright," whistled Whiff. "I'm just glad you found me. Let's go to work!" As they huffed back for Spencer, Emily explained everything to Whiff. How she was embarrassed over being laughed at for working with a smelly engine, and even being smelly herself. She also told him about Gordon and James turning her into what she never wanted to be. Whiff was troubled by this and sympathized with Emily deeply.

"You have many friends, Emily," smiled Whiff. "Your friends will look out for you and keep you as happy as they can." Emily smiled back. "Aww, thanks, Whiff. Thomas is the best friend I'll ever have. He's done so much for me. I'll tell you someday."

"Don't worry, Spencer," said Emily. "Whiff is here to help now."

"Freeze my firebox!" snorted Spencer when he saw Whiff. "That dirty little engine can't move all those rubbish trucks!"

"We're going to move them together," chuffed Emily. "Oh, thank you, Emily!" whistled Whiff.

Spencer watched as Emily and Whiff coupled up to the rubbish trucks, and quickly shunted them away. Spencer was very impressed. "Whiff is a very, very useful engine!" he wheeshed as he blew his whistle and was on his way. Now he could get the Duke and Duchess to their luncheon.

"I know," bubbled Emily happily. "And he's my new good friend too." Whiff whistled once again and said goodbye to Emily. But as Emily went back to the sheds, she felt sad again. She was laughed at by both her former enemies and by some she troubled.

Meanwhile, Henry had told Thomas about Gordon and James, making Thomas very cross. When he saw them, he immediately remembered when he scared them into telling him where Emily went.

_"Where is Emily? Where did she go?! WHERE IS SHE?!"_

Those words echoed through Thomas as he spotted them together. "Oi! You two!" he shouted out. "Henry told me what you did, laughing at Emily once again!" Gordon and James groaned. They didn't expect Henry to actually follow through with his warning. "You come out of the out-of-use siding, and right away, you're laughing at engines again!"

"Well," Gordon sniffed, trying to give defense. "We didn't hurt her or poke insults at her." Thomas glowered at Gordon. Before he could demand for evidence, James spoke next.

"It's true, Thomas. We didn't do anything to her except laugh. We just thought it was a little silly, seeing her with such a smelly engine."

Thomas said calmly, but sternly, "Alright. Because you didn't hurt her, insult her or push her into a rubbish pile…I won't tell the Fat Controller. But don't think I'm being nice! You got lucky this time." With that, he went back to the yards to wait for Emily.

Soon, she did return, and as she stopped near Thomas, he could hear her crying, making his boiler go cold. "I heard about Gordon and James, Emily. I'm very sorry," Thomas said sadly.

"That's not the reason I'm crying," sobbed Emily. "Now I know how Molly and Neville felt when I was mean to them…I was such a bad engine, wasn't I?" And she fell back into her tears, crying again. Thomas touched his nose to Emily's making her sniffle and look at his serious yet caring expression.

"Emily, read my lips: You were NEVER a bad engine. You were just scared and sad back then. You were never a monster. Gordon and James just pushed you very far. And those days are over. You'll never be hurt by them again, and even if you were, the Fat Controller would see that you stayed happy." Then another idea came to Thomas' mind to make this angel feel better.

"Also, I can cheer you up, Emily. Would you like a date?" Hearing this made Emily's spirits perk right up and she smiled again.

"I'd love a date with you, Thomas," she said. "Where to?"

"I have a new destination in mind," said Thomas. "Follow me." Soon, Thomas and Emily were huffing side by side along the line. The route they followed lead to "The Little Western" or simply, Duck's Branch Line. A coastal branch line nicknamed so because the line is decorated in Great Western Railway colours and is worked by Duck and Oliver, two Great Western engines, with Donald and Douglas assisting whenever they could.

The branch line operated between Tidmouth and Arlesburgh, a beautiful coastal resort town with a large harbour that was flocked with holidaymakers every year. The beaches weren't the only tourist attractions. The passenger service also carried much-needed tourists to the Arlesdale Railway, also known as the "Small Railway", a minimum gauge railway running along the old route of the Mid Sodor Railway that Duke, Sir Handel and Peter Sam used to work, when the latter two were known as Falcon and Stuart. Now the line is run by three miniature engines called Rex, Mike and Bert. The three engines mainly transport waste materials from several of the abandoned mines at Arlesdale for use as ballast, but the line also attracts popularity due to the novelty of being pulled by a 1/3 scale engine. The engines also transport wool for making clothes.

Thomas and Emily didn't stop until they reached Arlesburgh Harbour…exactly where Percy and Duck would watch the sailboats with Harold.

"Oh, this is nice," said Emily. "I don't often come to the harbour." Thomas smiled at the beautiful engine next to him. He told her all about Duck and Percy's work at this harbour and even how Duck wished he could sail beyond Sodor. Emily was in stitches when she heard what Percy said about engines not being able to float.

When she calmed down, she sighed happily at the rippling water and the evening colours while Thomas looked out at the sea with her. The sunset was behind them, but the sky was still a beautiful mix of blues, oranges and pinks. Twenty minutes later, Thomas broke the silence. "Did you like working with Whiff?" he asked.

"Yes," said Emily. "He may be smelly, but that's alright. Rubbish has its smells and even it's important to work with sometimes."

Thomas felt better now. He and Emily spent a little longer at the harbour. Thomas shot one more look at Emily. He sounded like a broken record but he couldn't help it, Emily was so angelic that he almost lost his breath. He paid particular attention to the gold ring around her funnel.

"How many times have I called you an angel?" he asked, playfully.

Emily blushed. "I've lost count, but I can't help but think you're exaggerating a bit."

"Exaggerating? I mean every word of it. Angels are supposed to be the most beautiful beings ever. You can always tell them apart by their gold rings floating above them. You have a gold ring and you're the most beautiful engine ever, so in my opinion, you are an angel," Thomas said, with nothing but genuineness in his voice.

Emily was nearly overwhelmed with happiness, Thomas really knew how to make her heart flutter madly out of control. "You really are the sweetest engine ever, Thomas. I almost always forget about my ring. Thank you," said Emily. "You're very welcome," smiled Thomas.

At last when the moon began to shine in the night, they grew sleepy and decided to go home. Back at Tidmouth Sheds, Emily backed into her berth and yawned.

"You're very cute when you yawn," said Thomas.

"Thanks," Emily said, blushing slightly. "You're cute too."

Thomas blushed slightly as well. He turned himself round on the turntable and said goodnight to Emily. After she fell asleep, Thomas looked at her for a moment. The moonlight gave off a silver glow on her paint, making her even more beautiful. He thought to himself, "_Sweet dreams, Emily. I love you._" And fell asleep beside his favorite engine, dreaming about all the happiest times they shared.

* * *

After the last two crazy and hectic chapters I think it's nice to have a simple relaxing chapter, too bad the next two chapters are going to be pretty deep. Yes folks it is finally for "The Great Discovery", oh boy are we in for some ride let me tell you. Well I hope you like Thomas' "inner demon" because it's going to be very prominent in the first part of this two-parter. So I hope you'll have some popcorn and beer, or any other beverage ready on standby, because you will be needing them. Leave a review and I'll see you all for Part 1: "Emotions Cloud Judgement."


	15. Emotions Cloud Judgement

The Island of Sodor is a very old island. Older than Edward, older than the Fat Controller and even older than the Skarloey Engines. Being old as it is, this island did have a few mysteries, and one mystery would soon be a Great Discovery.

One day, Thomas was feeling proud. He had just won a race with James. James was to work at the quay and Thomas was to work with Duncan and deliver timber to the Wharf. Duncan had taken some time to get the lumber to Thomas. After being told he can't be waited for, he had told Thomas that the Rolling River Bridge was a quick way to the Wharf, but it was also a very high bridge. He thought about it all the time he took the timber along the line. Just then, he could see the bridge up ahead and slowed down. The bridge looked very old. And, just like Duncan said, it was very high…and the ravine was very deep. Thomas could hear rocks clattering down into the ravine, and felt a little scared.

"I like high bridges, but this one is really high. If I chuff slowly, I'll reach the other side before I know it," he puffed bravely. Wheel-turn by wheel-turn, Thomas edged onto the bridge. "I am brave and I am strong. I'll get to the Wharf and it won't take long," he chuffed to himself. Thomas was now halfway across the bridge. The sound of the falling rocks was louder and louder, the bridge had started to shudder and shake. Thomas didn't like it at all, but he wanted to get to the other side. Then Thomas heard a mighty crack! Part of the bridge in front of him came away from the rocks. Right away, the memories of 'Arry and Bert hanging Thomas over the smelter's cauldron flooded back to his memory.

"Cinders and ashes!" cried Thomas. "I must get back to safety!" He was very scared. Then, Thomas started to reverse…He puffed slowly, and carefully. Then there was another mighty crack! A large piece of the broken bridge fell down into the ravine below. With the biggest puff he had ever huffed, Thomas pushed backwards onto the hillside. "I'm safe!" he cried, just as the last part of the bridge rolled and swung over the deep ravine. Thomas peered down to the broken bridge below. "Huh! Flatten my funnel!" he gasped.

Thomas puffed back to the junction. He saw there was another track.

"Maybe this track goes to the Wharf too," whistled Thomas. And he rattled away down the steep track. The track was covered in thick branches and bushes, they scrunched and scratched as Thomas chuffed through them. It was not easy to maneuver through. "Huh, no one's been down here for a very long time," he huffed. And he puffed on.

Then Thomas gasped. He had arrived at a hidden town. It was overgrown, rusty and very old. "Bubbling Boilers!" Thomas cried. There were lots of old buildings and a station covered in ivy. "_What a funny place to have a town,_" he thought. Thomas was very excited. "I wonder what else I'll find," he wheeshed. Thomas looked around a little more, then chuffed to halt.

"Fizzling fireboxes!" he gasped. Thomas had never seen such an amazing sight, "There are so many buildings, it must have been a very large town!" he cried. "That looks like part of a tower." Thomas was very excited indeed. "I must tell everyone about this!" he whistled loudly. Thomas bumped and bashed his way on the old track, he had to spread the news. He whistled as hard as he could.

"_Someone must hear me!_" he thought, so he whistled again. Suddenly, a horn hooted. "That's Madge," said Thomas. Madge was surprised to see Thomas. "Madge, I've discovered an old town! It's hidden in the forest!" whistled Thomas excitedly. "Fenders and Flatbeds," exclaimed Madge. "Everyone must know about this."

She spread the word to Mighty Mac, and the word continued to spread to Sir Handel, Skarloey, Rheneas, the Thin Controller and finally Harold, who flew off immediately to find the Fat Controller. The Fat Controller had been having tea when Harold arrived. "Thomas has discovered a hidden town!" shouted Harold. The Fat Controller was very excited. "Take me to Thomas at once!" he boomed.

* * *

Soon, Thomas and the Fat Controller arrived at the hidden town. "Here it is, sir," Thomas wheeshed. The Fat Controller beamed from ear to ear. "Thomas, you have made a wonderful discovery! This is the town of Great Waterton!" Thomas gasped. He and the other engines heard stories of Great Waterton.

"When steam engines first came to Sodor," the Fat Controller said, "This was the main town. It was called Great Waterton. The water works here provided water for everyone."

"Why does no one live here now?" puffed Thomas. "All the people left to live in new towns, and everyone thought the town of Great Waterton was lost forever," said the Fat Controller. "But now, it is found!" cheered Thomas.

"Thanks to you, Thomas," smiled the Fat Controller. "I will telephone the mayor straight away. I'm very proud of you." Thomas felt really important, and even a little bit conceited.

"Thank you, sir! Hooray!" he cheered.

The Fat Controller arrived at Tidmouth Sheds. The other engines were very proud of Thomas. "The town of Great Waterton is to be restored in time for Sodor Day," boomed the Fat Controller. "The restoration will be a lot of work."

Percy was puzzled. "What's restoration?" he wheeshed quietly. "Ohh…restoration," groaned Gordon loudly. "That is when you make something very old look new again."

"There are many jobs to do," the Fat Controller added.

All the engines were pleased…especially Emily. "Very clever, Thomas," she smiled. "I really want to see this town!"

The Fat Controller gave each of the engines important jobs. They whistled in excitement. "Now. I will telephone Miss Jenny. We'll need help from the Sodor Construction Company."

The Fat Controller telephoned Miss Jenny. "Miss Jenny? Thomas has discovered the old town of Great Waterton. We need the help of Jack and his team to rebuild it. It must be ready in time for Sodor Day."

"How exciting," said Miss Jenny. "They'd be delighted to help. I'll tell them right away." So she went to see Jack and his team. "We will work harder than ever," hooted Jack excitedly. At the depot, the Thin Controller gathered his engines. He spoke loudly, "You will be very busy!" The engines whistled happily. "I know you will all do your very best!" the Thin Controller cheered.

And so, the restoration began. James was on his way for the hidden track. Thomas transported some of Jack's team to the town. The diggers and cranes all worked together clearing away branches and leveling out the ground. Percy and Duncan made the first deliveries of blocks and slate - Duncan brought the blocks and slate to the Transfer Yards, where they were transferred over to Percy, so he could deliver them to the town. Workmen were busy with some of Jack's team in the forest. Emily, James and Gordon delivered stone while the diggers kept leveling out the ground and filling in the holes. Soon, the town was coming alive again.

Emily in particular was very impressed. She thought this town would be very lovely once restored. It would also give extra engines a better chance of working. Thomas was trying the hardest of all to repair this ancient town. Being No. 1, he wanted the greatest amount of praise and glory, but when one gets too excited, judgement can be interfered with by clouding emotions…

* * *

Back at Tidmouth Sheds, the engines were resting after a good deal of work. The Fat Controller came to speak to Thomas.

"Thomas, you are to find all the lost tracks hidden around the town," he said. Thomas was pleased. "And because you discovered Great Waterton," the Fat Controller added, "I am also giving you the most important job of all…You are to be in charge of all the work."

"Fizzling fireboxes!" puffed Thomas proudly. The Fat Controller knew another engine would have to take care of Thomas' usual work during the restoration, but with all the engines working hard as they were, he had something else to add…

"I'm bringing a new engine from the mainland to do your usual jobs…just until Great Waterton is repaired," he said. Thomas didn't take any notice of this. He was too busy thinking of being in charge of the work at Great Waterton.

Emily overheard the Fat Controller and didn't have much concern. She did Thomas' Branch Line run for a week while he stayed in the shed after attacking 'Arry and Bert, so she thought Thomas wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

The next morning, the Fat Controller arrived at Brendam Docks to meet the new engine. James, Henry and Salty were with him. Even Cranky was excited. Suddenly there was a loud sound of pistons pumping. From behind a cloud of steam, a new tank engine puffed slowly out. He was shiner, bigger and stronger than Thomas and had white paintwork. James, Henry and Salty were most excited. "This is Stanley," boomed the Fat Controller. "Welcome to Sodor, Stanley!"

"Oh, my, my," gasped Henry. "Whatever will Thomas say?"

Secretly, Emily had been in the docks too and oversaw Stanley. He was certainly splendid and friendly-looking, but all the same, she didn't consider him handsome or cute, like Thomas. Stanley seemed too old. Thomas looked just perfect for her...

Meanwhile, Thomas didn't know about Stanley's arrival. He had been busy, he already found a lot of hidden tracks. Thomas puffed proudly along to his new engine shed. James huffed up.

"Look at my new shed," Thomas said grandly. "While I'm in charge, I won't have time to puff back to Tidmouth." But James wasn't interested in Thomas' new shed.

"I've just met the new engine," he snorted. "He's called Stanley. He's very friendly. Everyone likes him. He's doing your jobs very well." Thomas was surprised. Suddenly, his new shed didn't seem so important.

The next day, Thomas had to pull heavy trucks of stone to the docks. He stopped at the washdown and saw a shiny new tank engine. "_That must be Stanley,_" he thought to himself. Stanley and Percy were playing and joking. Both engines had told the workman to pour on more bubbles. Percy was giggling and Stanley was laughing even louder. Thomas felt left out. He whistled to his friend, but Percy was too busy having fun, and he didn't notice Thomas. Thomas puffed on, he was upset. Later, he stopped at a junction. Gordon was waiting. Suddenly with a whoosh and a whistle, Stanley raced onto the mainline with Annie and Clarabel. They were having a wonderful time and steamed right past Thomas.

"Stanley knows how to have fun," Gordon declared. Thomas watched Stanley disappear. He didn't think it was fun at all. Emily had done this duty once before, but that was because Thomas had defended her, in a rather risky way.

That night, Thomas puffed into Tidmouth Sheds, he was very tired. Tonight, he wanted to be with his friends. Suddenly, "Cinders and Ashes!" he gasped. Stanley was in his berth. Stanley blew a high sound from his whistle, then Gordon blew a low sound and Emily trembled a low sound no one had ever heard before. The engines wheeshed with laughter. "Hello! You must be Thomas!" said Stanley. "Hello, Thomas," chuckled the engines. "This is Stanley, the new engine," Emily added quietly.

But Thomas wasn't chuckling…neither was Emily. Thomas didn't like Stanley doing his jobs or pulling his passenger coaches, or being everyone's best friend…everyone except Emily. But laughing in his berth at Tidmouth Sheds was worst of all.

"I…I have to get back to Great Waterton. I have a lot of work to do!" and he chuffed quickly away. Thomas wished Stanley had never come to Sodor. After Thomas left, Emily was very cross with herself. Why didn't she speak up about Thomas? Because everyone else was too interested in Stanley to think about Thomas. She huffed onto the turntable and turned to Thomas' track to follow him. When she reached Great Waterton, she found Thomas in his shed, grumbling crossly. When he saw her, he calmed down but didn't brighten up.

"Why is Stanley here? Doing MY work?" he asked annoyingly. Emily remembered what the Fat Controller said and was slightly surprised by this question.

"Thomas," she said. "Did you not hear what the Fat Controller said? Stanley is doing your jobs while you work at Great Waterton. We're all too busy to do that job. He means well and he wants to help. Perhaps you were too concentrated on your job for Great Waterton."

Thomas wasn't convinced. "I know Rosie isn't to blame for my siblings being gone, but why did the Fat Controller move Stanley into Tidmouth?!"

"He didn't. You have a temporary shed here, Thomas. You're still in charge of Great Waterton's restoration. That's something to be proud of," Emily replied. "The Fat Controller would never replace you. And you've done so much for me, I could never leave you behind."

It felt good to know that Emily still noticed him, but Thomas' judgement wasn't pulling through well. He was still determined to outshine Stanley.

* * *

The next morning, Thomas was extra busy. He wanted everyone to see he was better than Stanley. Thomas collected Jack. "I need you all harder than you ever worked," huffed Thomas. "Don't worry, Thomas. Alfie, Ned and Oliver are doing their best, and Monty and Max are dumping such heavy loads, they're getting dizzy!"

Thomas smiled. He liked being in charge. Thomas wanted to show everyone he could to everything. But what he failed to notice was that no one could do everything perfectly. His common sense was wavering more and more over his jealousy of Stanley. Even Emily's attention didn't help to clear his emotions away. Next, he was pulling some heavy trucks. Then there was trouble. Thomas was puffing too fast round the bend. He toppled off the track! His load crashed down the bank!

"Oh no!" cried Thomas. Luckily, no one was hurt. The crash could be heard down at Great Waterton where the other engines were working hard, and Emily gasped. "Thomas!" she whistled. The Fat Controller arrived with Edward and Rocky. He was very cross. "Thomas, YOU must go to the repair yard!" Thomas didn't want to go to the repair yard, he wanted to stay in charge.

"Stanley will take your place in charge of the work at Great Waterton!" the Fat Controller added. This was the worst news ever for Thomas, he was very upset. But secretly in Edward's cab, the Fat Controller face-palmed himself. "_Maybe I sounded a bit too selfish,_" he thought. He had no intention of replacing Thomas. He was Sodor's No. 1, but with Stanley's more dedicated work, he would be able to keep the restoration going on schedule. Rocky lowered Thomas onto Edward's flatbed. Slowly, Edward puffed away from Great Waterton.

Edward had to stop at a signal. Stanley chuffed cheerfully. "Bad luck, Thomas!" he whistled, not intending to sound mean. And he puffed away. In the distance, they could hear the other engines cheer. "Welcome Stanley!" The only voice not to be heard was Emily's. She was behind the water tower, worrying about Thomas. She felt like Stanley was unintentionally luring the engines away from her savior. After so much happiness Thomas gave her, she wouldn't fall for the same spell the other engines were. She made a decision in her mind.

"Never. I will never stop loving you, Tommy." she whispered to herself.

Back with Edward, Thomas was cross. "I found Great Waterton!" He hooted. "I'll be back! I'll be in charge again, and everyone will see I'm more useful than Stanley." Edward's signal changed to go and he puffed on.

Repairs took as long as a day. Thomas was fuming over Stanley the whole time, but even worse, Emily hadn't come to see him during his repairs. He thought Stanley was using his non-existing charm to lure her away from him, but truly, she really wanted to see Thomas more than anything. She couldn't because the restoration of the town was on such a tight schedule and her work had to come first. She kept getting new jobs to do, and more trains to transport to and from the town. That evening, as she returned to Tidmouth Sheds, she saw Stanley in the centre berth. So she backed into the berth farthest to the right.

As she settled down, she decided she'd go see Thomas first thing in the morning, before work would start again.

Emily woke up the next morning and remembered Thomas' accident, the work wasn't to start for another hour. She had her chance to go to the repair yard to see him. The other engines were still asleep and the turntable was still open to her. She quietly went on her way to the repair yard. When she arrived, she saw that Thomas was as good as new. When Thomas saw her stop near him, he was both pleased and annoyed.

"Emily!" He exclaimed. "I've been here for an entire day, and you couldn't resist Stanley to think of me or come to keep me company!" Thomas immediately regretted what he said. He didn't like popping off at this beautiful engine, and she didn't deserve it. "I'm sorry, Emily. I didn't…"

"No, I understand, Thomas." Emily answered. "You feel left out. But I heard your crash yesterday. The only reason I couldn't come for you was because of all the hustling work at Great Waterton. I wanted to see you more than anything. I really mean that. I'm so sorry, Thomas. All day, I was only thinking about you and how much you've done and will keep doing for me."

Thomas felt positively touched by Emily's words and felt a little better. "Thanks, Emily," he said.

"And after Great Waterton is repaired, I promise, you'll be happier. Just remember, I'm still holding onto you," Emily added.

Thomas' heart lifted and he smiled lightly. "I'm still forever grateful that I met you, Emily," he murmured. "As am I," she replied. "See you at Great Waterton!" she whistled as she went on her way.

Soon after the other engines left, the workmen checked Thomas once more and said he was good to go. "Now I can get back to my job at Great Waterton!" he whistled. Thomas couldn't wait. He chuffed cheerfully out of the repair yard. Thomas was very happy to see his friend Percy.

"Hello, Percy!" he whistled. "I thought Toby was to pick up the workmen."

"Hello, Thomas. Stanley has given me extra jobs because he says I give very smooth rides," peeped Percy proudly. "Tomorrow, Stanley and I are going to work together on the tower." Thomas didn't want to hear about Stanley. He was upset. But not as upset as Emily. She was growing worried about Thomas by the hour. She didn't think that he would like Stanley. She wanted to tell the Fat Controller, but with all the hustling at Great Waterton, she didn't get a chance...

Next, Thomas found Jack, Max and Monty. They were very busy. "Come on, Monty and Max, let's make Stanley proud!" Jack cried. "He's asked us to fill three holes, and we've only filled in one!"

"Hello!" whistled Thomas. But Max, Monty and Jack were too busy to notice him. Thomas was even more upset. He felt as if he didn't matter at all. He forgot all about Emily's feelings of concern for him at this point. He puffed sadly away.

But Thomas forgot all about feeling sad when he chuffed into Great Waterton Station, it was starting to look as it was done long ago. As if it was never abandoned at all! "Bubbling boilers!" he cried. "This is very exciting!" Then Thomas saw Stanley. He was with the Fat Controller. The Fat Controller saw Thomas. "Come here!" he boomed. "Hello, Thomas!" whistled Stanley. Thomas whistled back…but very quietly.

"Stanley has done a good job. Work is moving fast," The Fat Controller declared. "So I have decided," He added, "That Stanley will be in charge and you will help him." Thomas' funnel flattened. Stanley was to stay in charge? Thomas had lost the most important job of all, the job he wanted more than anything else. He couldn't believe how blind the Fat Controller had become to his feelings. Thomas had discovered this town but now Stanley was taking charge of it. Despite the fact that Stanley had no bad intentions, Thomas couldn't let go of his emotions.

* * *

That afternoon, Stanley asked Thomas to shunt some trucks. "You're the best shunter ever, Thomas," Stanley chuffed cheerfully. "I'll be back for the trucks very soon!" Thomas was very good at shunting trucks, and he also really liked shunting trucks, but he didn't really like Stanley telling him what to do.

Just then, Edward came towards him. After helping him to the repair yard, Edward knew Thomas was in a bad mood, and since he knew Thomas and Emily had feelings for each other, he thought it best to try talking Thomas round.

"Thomas," said Edward. "What's on your mind?"

"Not much," said Thomas flatly. But Edward knew he was hiding something. "Emily has been wondering about you, and how you envy Stanley," he said.

Thomas had no choice but to reply. "Stanley is taking so much charge, my job was taken over by him! Why do the engines like him and not notice me?!"

"The Fat Controller is just trying to get Great Waterton ready for Sodor Day," said Edward. "And Stanley is new here. The engines want to make him feel welcomed and want to get to know him. This has always happened whenever a new engine comes here, but why is this affecting you now?"

"With Stanley around, grabbing everyone's attention," grouched Thomas, "I feel that Emily might make the wrong choices under his spell."

"She will…or you?" implied Edward. "What are you implying?" Thomas asked with underlying suspicion.

"Thomas, I understand that Emily is the only lady in the Steam Team. I'm proud of you for holding onto faith in her and for saving her, but I've seen that you're trying to outshine Stanley. I understand you feel left out, but-"

"Emily and I are just friends!" interrupted Thomas. Edward gave Thomas a questioning, wondering look. He knew there was more to Thomas and Emily than simply friendship.

"I may add that you two are special friends," he said with a slightly serious tone. "But you must realize that good judgement is vital…and I should warn you, not to let your emotions overtake your common sense. I know you care deeply for Emily and I'm proud of you for doing so, but you can't let your feelings for her get the best of you. Friendship is important, but we can't let it control us. Just help finish Great Waterton, don't think about Stanley in such ways, and you will be alright." With that, Edward went on his way.

Thomas pondered this conversation for a few minutes. He knew his emotions drove him too far after he pushed 'Arry and Bert to their near demise at the quarry. But despite promising never to do such a thing again to the Fat Controller, having Stanley grab everyone's attention just drove his desperation to have Emily further. He couldn't stand the idea of her being swept off her wheels by Stanley. After everything Thomas had done for her, that wouldn't be fair.

Thomas' thoughts were interrupted when he heard Stanley and Emily's voices, making him very suspicious. He could hear laughter. As he reversed towards the sound, he saw Stanley and Emily at a red signal. Thomas had to let off steam. Because of the hissing sound, although he could see them, he couldn't hear them.

"Well Emily," said Stanley. "I must say, you're a radiant, thoughtful engine." Emily blushed lightly, not out of love, but out of feeling praised by this statement.

But the blush on Emily's face made Thomas' firebox spark with deep, festering anger. He had made the wrong conclusion that Stanley was stealing Emily away from him. Emily truly had no such feelings for Stanley. After being saved from such terrible suffering, she would never stop loving Thomas.

Thomas chuffed unhappily to the trucks. He wanted things back to the way they were…before Stanley arrived on the island. Thomas shunted lots of trucks. Stanley had to take them up the steep hill out of the town to the Wharf. Suddenly, as Thomas looked back to when he saw Emily with Stanley, an idea flew into his funnel.

"If I shunt an extra-long line of trucks, Stanley will never be able to pull them," he puffed to himself. "Everyone will see he's not so strong after all, and I will be in charge again! …and Emily will hate him for sure!" Soon, the trucks were ready. They were very, very heavy. Stanley chuffed back.

"My! That's a long train!" he puffed. "Not for a strong engine like you," Thomas said, with underlying deception in his mind. But he knew it was too long and too heavy.

Stanley started up the hill. It was very steep. Stanley was doing his best. Stanley was using all his huff and all his puff, and the trucks clacked and cracked. The train was far too heavy. Stanley's wheels spun and slid. Suddenly, the coupling snapped! And Stanley's trucks rolled away, faster and faster! Meanwhile, at the water tower, Thomas was snickering to himself, but his confidence was immediately shattered when he saw the oncoming trucks! He and the engines gasped as Stanley's train came racing down the hill! It smashed into the water tower!

As the tower crashed to the ground, bricks and dust exploded everywhere! All the hard work was wasted! The engines gasped in horror and Thomas felt worst of all, he knew it was all his fault. "_Oh! What have I done?!_" He thought. He didn't mean to go this far. All he could think was that all the engines would surely hate him...

The Fat Controller and Ms Jenny came to see what had happened. "This is a disaster!" boomed the Fat Controller. "Thomas! Why did you shunt so many trucks for Stanley?!" Thomas felt terrible. He knew why he had done it, but he couldn't tell the Fat Controller and the other engines. He felt too ashamed. So, he said nothing. The Fat Controller was very cross. The other engines, except Emily started to whisper.

"Thomas doesn't like Stanley!" snorted James. "That's why he shunted too many trucks for Stanley!"

"Why would Thomas do such a thing?" asked Toby.

"Thomas would never do that!" peeped Percy, but he was worried.

"No! Never!" exclaimed Emily, who was most worried of all. She knew that Thomas would never do such things with pride, but after the incident with 'Arry and Bert some time ago, she had a feeling that Thomas went overboard again. Thomas felt bad. He puffed slowly away.

Thomas found an old track. He wanted to be alone. "The other engines don't want me around," he puffed sadly. "They wish I wasn't here at all." Stanley puffed towards Thomas. He saw that Thomas looked sad and alone. "Thomas feels bad," he chuffed to himself. He felt very sorry for him.

* * *

Later, the Fat Controller called the engines together. "Now, Great Waterton may not be ready for Sodor Day," he announced sternly. The engines gasped. "Miss Jenny's crew will load the rubble into the trucks tonight, but this means extra work for all of you," he added. "Tomorrow, you will start shunt the trucks away to the sidings." Thomas had let down the Fat Controller, he had let the other engines down, and he let himself down. The other engines started to chuff away. No one spoke to Thomas...he was no longer in charge, and he felt he was no longer wanted.

After the engines huffed away, he went back and looked at the destruction. Suddenly, he bolted away, sobbing loudly and painfully. But unknown to him, two other engines were also there…Emily and Edward. To Emily, Thomas had an understandable reason why he did this: he felt isolated and neglected by his own friends. She heard the sobs and was deeply troubled at seeing her savior cry. She was about to go after him when Edward spoke up.

"Hold on, Emily. Let's leave Thomas. He's lost in his emotions right now," he said. But Emily was insistent. "Edward, that special engine saved me and brought me back to the light. I need to know what's wrong with him."

Edward pondered. "Hmm…you're right. If there's anyone he'd want to see, it's you…the most beautiful engine Sodor has seen." Emily smiled slightly. "Thank you, Edward. You're very kind…just like me."

She went off on her own and found Thomas, hiding in his Waterton shed, still crying. He was feeling betrayed by his friends, but also afraid for himself. He truly didn't want to do what he did. He knew he would never enjoy causing such disaster, but something within him overdrove his self-control and would make him unable to have second thoughts about some of his actions. As he continued to fear what would happen next, Emily went inside the shed and touched his buffers. "Thomas?" she whispered. "Please talk to me."

Thomas looked up and although he saw that his favorite engine was keeping him company, he still scowled with utter jealousy and frustration. Although Emily still paid attention to Thomas, he couldn't remember straight. "Why? You all like Stanley! You and the others have neglected me and fell under his spell!" he snapped. "I'm staying out here where everyone will want me out of the way!"

Although Emily truly wasn't neglecting Thomas, she understood why he made that statement about her. Stanley did grab the attention of many engines with his appearance and skill. She remembered feeling bad for Thomas when Stanley stayed in his berth, and when he was put in charge of restoring Great Waterton, then she looked back to when she and Stanley were talking. She remembered that was just before the tower collapsed, then she spoke up. "Thomas…did you see me talking to Stanley?"

Thomas couldn't hold secrets from this angel. "Yes, Emily. I did. I heard you laugh and saw you turn slightly red and…that's why I tried to get him in trouble."

Emily touched her nose to Thomas'. "If you really want to know, Thomas, I felt terrible for you when Stanley stayed in your berth. I was just interested since he's new here. My laughing earlier today was because we were joking together, and he told me I'm a radiant, thoughtful engine. I just felt thankful for his statement. Stanley wasn't hitting on me, and even if he tried, I wouldn't dream of being with him...you've done too much for me. Remember what we promised after you saved me? We'll always be the best of friends…and I will never break away from that."

Thomas felt very silly. Stanley wasn't trying to steal her at all. He didn't think much about love anyway.

"Really?" he asked. "Even though I wasted all the hard work, You don't hate me?"

Emily said, "Thomas, just like you told me, I could never hate you or stay angry at you. You're feeling terrible and it's my job to look out for you and help you."

Thomas also felt much better. He started to cry happily and pressed his nose closer, but still gently on Emily's. Emily smiled as Thomas nuzzled her and kept close to her.

"Thank you, Emily," he whimpered. "No matter how silly or reckless I become, you never lose faith in me."

Emily chuckled lightly and replied, "You're not silly or reckless, Thomas. You just need guidance and help. We all make mistakes and no one is perfect. In the meantime, do you want me to sleep here with you?"

"Thank you, but no," replied Thomas. "You go back to Tidmouth Sheds…I have a plan: I'll arrange all these trucks tonight so no one will have to shunt tomorrow. And just between you and me, I'm doing it for you."

Emily blushed. "I've said it before but I can't help it…you're very sweet, and cute," she smiled.

She touched her nose to Thomas' once more, then backed out of the shed, keeping her smile on until she was out of sight. When she returned to Tidmouth Sheds, she was surprised to see that Stanley wasn't there. He was sleeping in the coach shed beside the main sheds, in the hopes that would help to apologize to Thomas.

"Where have you been, Emily?" asked Henry.

Emily told the engines all about her visit with Thomas and what he said. They all listened very carefully. After they heard why Thomas did such a thing and about his plan, they couldn't stay angry. They decided that when they saw him again, they'd apologize to him and vow to always think of him.

* * *

Well that closes the book on that chapter, pretty beefy I must admit, I know the next chapter will probably be shorter. Also to anyone wondering, the conversation between Thomas and Edward was inspired by the conversation Obi-Wan had with Anakin about his hatred for Rush Clovis and feelings for Padme in "The Clone Wars" Season 6 - Episode 6 "The Rise of Clovis." Worked out greatly in my opinion, great work Jeremy. With that said we have reached the halfway point of this story, so leave a review guys and we'll see you all soon for Part 2 "Searching for Thomas."


	16. Searching for Thomas

That night, all the other engines were asleep in their sheds...but not Thomas. He puffed back into Great Waterton after calming down from earlier. Jack and Alfie had already loaded their trucks of rubble.

"If I shunt all the trucks away to the sidings, the tracks will be clear in the morning. Then everyone will like me again." Thomas wanted to do something to get his old job back, so Thomas started to shunt the trucks away. Thomas worked very hard, he felt very pleased with himself. Then Thomas saw one last truck, it had rolled in front of an old mine shaft.

"I'll soon fix that," Thomas smiled, and he backed up so he could buffer up to the truck. Then there was trouble. Thomas biffed the truck too hard, it rolled forward and disappeared into the mine.

"Cinders and ashes!" exclaimed Thomas. "Where did that truck go?"

Thomas rolled forward and peered inside, it was very dark. "I must finish the job," he huffed. "I'll soon find that truck," and Thomas puffed into the mine.

It was very dark. Thomas was happy he had a bright lamp. He saw the truck rolling away, then it disappeared around the bend. "Bust my buffers!" puffed Thomas. "I'd better go after it!" The slope was very steep. Thomas whizzed down it and clattered around the bend. Up Thomas whooshed and down he whizzed. "Whee!" Thomas whistled and "Whoa!" he cried. It was very scary, but it was very exciting. Thomas had almost caught up to the truck "He won't get away from me!" He puffed happily. But Thomas didn't see the junction ahead! The truck whizzed down the right track and Thomas sped down the left.

Thomas had lost the runaway truck. But his roller-coaster ride as so much fun, Thomas soon forgot about the truck. Then there was trouble. The tunnel ahead was blocked! "Oh no!" called Thomas. He applied his brakes but it was too late! Thomas crashed through the blocked tunnel. With a mighty splash, Thomas landed in a pool of water. "Huh! Fizzling fireboxes! This tunnel is flooded!" he gasped. It didn't feel fun anymore, it felt scary. "I wish I was back at Great Waterton," He wheeshed quietly.

Thomas drifted slowly forward. There was nothing he could do. "Cinders and ashes!" Thomas gasped as he floated along the tunnel. He whistled as loudly as he could. "Help!" he cried. But there was no one to hear his whistle. "No one will find me now!" Thomas wailed. "No one will want to find me!" But secretly, he knew one that would most certainly want to…Emily. "Unless…" he added. "Emily can grab everyone's attention back," he whispered. All he could do was think about how she'd feel once she learned of this event...

* * *

The next morning, Stanley, James, Gordon, Percy, Edward, Henry, Emily and Toby had arrived for work and were surprised to see it all finished. "Where's Thomas?" Stanley asked. The engines looked. They wanted to apologize for discarding Thomas, but he wasn't there. They all thought hard. No one knew where Thomas was. He was nowhere to be seen. Emily in particular became very scared. She knew he should have been still in this yard, but this strange disappearance could not have happened just from shunting!

"WHERE would he go?" she asked frantically. "Ask every engine and machine if they've seen him!"

James was worried. He asked the little engines at the junction. "Have any of you seen Thomas?" James puffed. None of the little engines had seen Thomas either. Percy called Jack and his team together. "We can't find Thomas," Percy peeped. "Do you know where he's gone?" Jack and his team thought hard, but none of them saw Thomas.

Thomas drifted along the tunnel. He realized he was moving faster. "Bust my buffers!" he cried as he raced through the tunnel.

The Fat Controller was called. "Sir, Thomas has disappeared!" Edward puffed. "No one know where he is!" whistled Emily, her voice shaking and her lip quivering. "And I miss him," peeped Percy. "This is very strange!" boomed the Fat Controller. Everyone agreed and they had to find Thomas at once.

"This is a state of emergency!" he boomed importantly. "Everyone must look for Thomas!" As soon as the search began, the news hit the morning papers. "THOMAS IS LOST-FIND HIM NOW!" said the headlines. Percy checked all the berths at Tidmouth Sheds and around Great Waterton. The Skarloey Engines scoured up and down along their own line. All the corners of all sheds on the island were checked, Bertie took children along the roads, hoping to find Thomas and race back. Harold patrolled the skies and even Cranky tried searching from his height, like when he helped Thomas find Percy.

Everyone on the island was certainly worried, but no one was as worried as Emily. After all her favorite engine's brothers and only sister disappeared, what if he would be next? Not only would his engine class be extinct, but her savior would be gone forever! As she tore through a tunnel and along a level crossing, she made no efforts to hold back her tears of fright and she wouldn't stop crying. "Thomas! Tommy!" she kept screaming in the hopes that he would hear her at all. All she could do was gasp, hiccup and pant as she bolted everywhere she could, leaving no stone unturned, no railway unchecked and never resting.

* * *

Deep inside the mine, Thomas went up and down, round and about, and the water roared around him. The Fat Controller drove and drove to every lookout point, high in the hills, the Narrow Gauge Engine puffed and peered. But no one could find Thomas. Later, the Fat Controller and the other engines stood by the tumbled tower.

Everyone was tired. Everyone had tried their hardest, but there was no sign of Thomas. "Sir, we have to find Thomas," peeped Percy. "He found Great Waterton. It's his town, we can't have the opening without him." All the engines agreed, but none of them agreed more than Emily. She ushered Henry and Stanley to move forward so she could huff up beside Percy and speak words that would cause complete realization of Thomas' good character and personality.

"I agree more than anyone else…Not only did Thomas find Great Waterton," she said as she began to cry. "But think about all the things he has done for me! When I was the bossiest engine on Sodor, with an impatient, unfriendly nature, he never stopped caring for me. Even when I was mean and bossy to everyone and even him, he was never angry at me, he was afraid for me. I wouldn't have become my kind, gentle and friendly self again if I didn't meet him."

The other engines listened in awe and astonishment as Emily continued.

"When he attacked 'Arry and Bert, he was just defending me from their teasing. When he was mean to Rosie, he was still in sorrow over losing his brothers and only sister. And only yesterday when that tower collapsed from Stanley's trucks, Thomas felt neglected and cast aside by everyone…except me! Only I could feel how sad, jealous and desperate he was! I stuck by his side through the toughest times, but after his accident, the rest of you have left him behind! With the exception of Edward and I, you have been like strangers to him! I will NOT let the engine who saved my life disappear after everything he has done for us! He's my forever saviour and I will never stop thanking him! Finding him is more important than ANYTHING right now!"

With that, Emily reversed back beside Edward and James, Henry and Stanley following. No other engine or person said a word. Never had they felt so foolish and blind towards Sodor's No. 1, and never did Emily sound so determined and inspiring. At last, the Fat Controller broke ten minutes of silence.

"…You're quite right, Emily, and Percy!" he boomed. "We must find Thomas!"

Stanley also knew how important Thomas was. He chuffed away sorrowfully. Stanley arrived at the sidings. A train of trucks was waiting for him. But Stanley wasn't thinking about trucks, he was thinking about Thomas. Stanley thought back to the day when Thomas saw him pulling Annie and Clarabel, then he remembered the evening at Tidmouth Sheds, and Thomas was upset because he as in his berth, then Stanley remembered Thomas' face after the accident.

"Thomas isn't a bad engine, he's a sad engine," Stanley puffed slowly. "I wonder if he has run away because he thinks no one likes him anymore. Maybe Thomas is hiding up in the hidden hills. I'll look for him there. I must tell him we all miss him!" and Stanley whooshed away to the hills.

In the dark tunnel, Thomas was very scared. He was washed and waved forward. His fire had gone out and his boiler was cold. Stanley was high up in the hills. "Where are you Thomas?! We miss you!" he whistled. But only his echo came back. "We miss you!"

* * *

The river was rushing and Thomas whooshed with it, off into the darkness. Suddenly, he crashed through a thick wall of bushes! He flew across a ravine, and hit the ground with a bump! Thomas slid down a hill. Trees and rocks were everywhere. "HELP!" Thomas cried. At last, Thomas slid to a stop at the bottom of a hill. He was stuck. Thomas saw that he had landed next to an old track. "But how am I going to get onto it?" he cried. Thomas could do nothing but wait, and hope.

As he waited, he suddenly heard a sound which the air had directed through the mountains all the way from the main line. "Thomas! Tommy!" it echoed. "Emily?" Thomas called wearily, but no reply was heard. The echo definitely sounded sad and frightened.

Stanley had looked everywhere. He could not find Thomas. Soon he would have to go back to work at Great Waterton, but he wasn't going to let work come before rescuing Thomas. Thomas was thinking about Great Waterton. He thought about the tower, and the moment Stanley's trucks smashed into it, then the tower tumbled down. "I wish I hadn't made Stanley pull all those trucks…I didn't like him doing my jobs…and now look where I am. I'm a very silly engine," he puffed sadly. Thomas wished he was back with his friends…especially Emily. All he could see in his mind was her crying her delicate heart out in trying to find him.

Stanley had to get back to Great Waterton. "I'll blow my whistle one last time," Stanley wheeshed. And he whistled loud and long. This time, Thomas heard the whistle! "It's Stanley!" He gasped. With his very last puff, and his very last huff, Thomas blew his whistle as loud as he could. Stanley heard Thomas. Quickly, he reversed back to the branch line. "Thomas!" he whistled happily. "Is that you?" Thomas had run out of puff. He couldn't whistle again. He could only wait. Then, Thomas saw Stanley chuffing around the bend. "Stanley!" he cried. "I'm very happy to see you!"

"Thomas!" whistled Stanley. "Where have you been? Did you run away?"

"N-No," Thomas answered sadly. "I was trying to be a really useful engine." Then, Thomas told Stanley all about his adventure in the mine. Stanley was amazed. "Stanley?" said Thomas. "I'm sorry I was horrible to you. I was wrong, and I was silly to be cross that you were in charge. I want to be your friend."

Stanley smiled. "Thomas," he wheeshed. "We WILL be friends. And I'll have you back on track in no time." Soon, Stanley was hooked up to Thomas. Then Stanley huffed and puffed. Thomas was very heavy. There was lots of water in his firebox. Stanley didn't give up. "I can do it!" he wheeshed. And with a mighty heave, Stanley pulled his friend back onto the track. "Hooray!" rejoiced Thomas.

Then, there was a very loud crack. The valve in Stanley's boiler had burst! Stanley was a very strong engine, but pulling Thomas had been too much. Now he couldn't move. Stanley felt very sad.

"Don't worry!" whistled Thomas. "It's my turn to help you. I'll shunt you home." Stanley smiled. Thomas was his new friend. There was nothing Thomas wouldn't do for Stanley. The fireman put Stanley's dry coal into Thomas' firebox. In no time at all, Thomas' boiler was bubbling and his steam was wheeshing. "Here we go, Stanley!" Thomas huffed happily. Stanley smiled back, and puff by puff, Thomas shunted him along the track. It was very hard work, Thomas had to puff up hills and huff through bushes, but Thomas didn't mind, he was proud to push his new friend, Stanley home.

At last, Thomas and Stanley huffed into Great Waterton. Thomas was tired, but he never felt happier. Henry, Rocky, Edward and Emily were busy working. Only moments ago, they were grieving over the possible demise of Thomas, but then they whistled when they saw Thomas and Stanley. Thomas backed up to the next switch and switched to Emily's line. He could see her starting to cry, not out of sadness, but pure joy and relief.

"Thomas! THOMAS!" squealed Emily. All Thomas could do was whisper, "Emily…I'm back."

"Thomas!" Emily cried again. "There you are!" She buffered up and touched her soft, warm nose to Thomas' as she sobbed with joy. Thomas blushed at this and giggled with joy. And soon, the sound of engine's whistles were echoing around Great Waterton. The news spread around Sodor.

"Thomas is FOUND!" the small engines cried. Mr. Percival beamed with pride. Terence told Harvey and Harvey told Trevor. "Thomas is home! He's back forever!" Bill told Ben and Ben told Molly. They cheered and they whistled, they felt so jolly. All the diesels met in the sidings. They couldn't believe such wonderful tidings. Percy told Gordon and Toby and James. "My best friend is found!" he exclaimed proudly. Arthur told Emily along the coastal track, "Have you heard the news? Thomas is back!"

"I have seen him, Arthur!" Emily wailed. "I couldn't be happier!"

Miss Jenny told Jack, and Jack told his team. "Hooray and Hurrah!" they shouted and screamed. Harold touched down and found Bertie the Bus. Bertie hooted and made such a fuss. Bertie found Lady Hatt who whooped and waved. Lady Hatt told her husband, "Sodor is saved!"

"Thomas is found!" Cranky cranked loudly. The cheers were a marvelous sound. The Fat Controller proclaimed very grandly, "Stanley saved Thomas and Thomas saved Stanley!"

* * *

The next morning, Thomas puffed into Great Waterton. Percy and Stanley were working hard, helping to rebuild the tower. It was almost finished. Thomas smiled. Now he was happy Stanley had come to Sodor. He had so many wonderful friends. "How could I have wanted to be more important than any of them?" he puffed to himself. Now they all worked happily together.

Later, the Fat Controller arrived. The tower was finished. It looked magnificent.

"Well done to you all!" beamed the Fat Controller. "Great Waterton is now ready for Sodor Day."

"Please sir," said Thomas. "May Stanley bring the Mayor to the Opening?"

"That was YOUR special, Thomas. Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir," said Thomas. "Surer than sure."

Sodor Day arrived. Thomas was waiting for Stanley to arrive with the Mayor. Much to his delight, Emily was right behind him. He wasn't sure but he thought he could hear her giggling behind him.

"M-my goodness, Tommy. You are really cute," she whispered so that no one would hear her. "_He's an absolutely perfect blue…almost cobalt blue,_" she thought.

Stanley chuffed proudly in with the Mayor. Thomas was pleased for his friend. The Mayor, the Fat Controller and Lady Hatt stood by the new tower. "Great Waterton is no longer lost. Welcome to the town of Great Waterton!"

Then, everyone looked up. They could hear the whirr of a jet plane. It was Jeremy. He flew high in the sky. And over the town of Great Waterton. All the engines whistled and wheeshed. Jack and his team cheered, and everyone clapped. Thomas smiled. He had wanted to be the leader of the track.

"But we're all leaders of the tracks," puffed Thomas proudly…and he couldn't have been happier.

After the presentation of Great Waterton, the town was soon back in business. People were starting to move in again and passenger and freight business could start coming here. During the celebration, Stanley told all the engines about Thomas' adventure in the mine. They were all amazed and Emily was truly astounded. To give Great Waterton train operations, Stanley was chosen to perform most of the duties here while Thomas went back to his old jobs. Thomas said goodbye to Stanley, promising everlasting friendship and loyalty. Stanley promised that they'd always be there for each other whenever they'd need to be. After goodbyes, Thomas found a loop-line and turned himself around. When he came back to Great Waterton, he saw that Emily and all the other engines were still there, ready to reunite with their beloved tank engine.

"THOMAS!" Shouted Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy and Toby together. "We heard so much about your adventure!"

"We were all worried!" squeaked Percy.

"We thought we lost you for good!" gasped Henry. "But thank goodness we didn't!"

"We're so glad to see you!" Gordon rejoiced.

"You-you are? Are you really glad to see me?" Thomas gasped.

"We wouldn't dream of leaving you behind, Thomas. You're our No. 1," said James. "You're much too important to forget."

Edward and Emily didn't need to apologize since they held onto faith in Thomas, but as agreed, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy and Toby all apologized one by one to Thomas for making the wrong conclusion about him just before he went missing, but Thomas didn't need apologies and held no grudge against any engine.

At last, evening began to close in and the stars began to appear. Most of the engines went on their way back to Tidmouth Sheds, but Thomas and Emily spent a little longer at Great Waterton. Emily was still in awe, shock and relief that her favorite engine was alright.

"Thomas," she breathed. "You don't know how worried I was when I learned you were missing."

"I'm sorry, Emily. I really wanted the others to know I didn't mean to cause all that trouble," Thomas said with mild shame.

"That's alright, Thomas. You're home again. That's all that matters," Emily smiled. "When I saw you coming back with Stanley, I felt almost as happy as that night at Black Loch after you saved me. Seeing your blue paint and familiar form was worth more than the world to me. I can't imagine what I would have done if we didn't find you. I don't ever want you to leave us, Thomas."

"I promise, Emily. I'll never leave Sodor unless I was called to the mainland. Even if I did have to leave, for any reason, I'd think about you every second, and your spirit and memories I have of you would always call me back."

Emily was so touched by these words, she didn't know what to say. She just stayed silent for a few minutes as she and Thomas idled on their tracks and listened to the sounds of crickets and owls around Great Waterton. As Thomas looked at Emily's moonlit form, he remembered the night she and him came back from their date after she worked with Whiff. He thought now this would be a good time to tell her.

"Emily?" he whispered.

"Yes, Thomas?"

"This reminds me of something…after our date at the harbour, I looked at you back at Tidmouth Sheds…I think you're very beautiful in the moonlight. The moon gives you a glamorous silver glow."

Emily blushed and giggled. "Oh, Thomas. You're very sweet, and smooth-talking."

"It's the truth," said Thomas. "In the sun or moon, the shine really adds to your beauty. Your funnel's ring makes you an angel, and the moon and sun gives you an angel's beauty...but even on cloudy or rainy days, you still look beautiful to me."

"What about my wheels?" she asked sweetly. "Do they do anything?"

"Of course they do. It doesn't matter if they're huge…that's what make you beautiful and special, just like I told you on that special night."

"Of course, Thomas. I'll never forget that night," Emily smiled. After another half hour, Thomas and Emily went home to Tidmouth Sheds. Thomas felt very happy to be back home, even though he did miss Stanley a little.

"Goodnight, Emily. And thank you for always holding onto me," Thomas whispered.

"You're welcome, Thomas. Sweet dreams," Emily whispered. With that, Thomas fell asleep. Emily looked at him for a second and managed to mouth those magic words, but not whisper them. "I love you." Then she fell asleep too, feeling much happier and prouder of Thomas. They slept happily through the night, dreaming about all their past adventures.

* * *

And that is one of the biggest hurdles of story out of the way, next chapter is one that I'm sure many of you have been anticipating the most. Yes it's finally time for Emily and Rosie's rivalry. Who will stand victorious and claim Thomas'- It's Emily, it's the most obvious thing in the world. Leave your reviews and prepare for the catfight that's next chapter.


	17. The Battle for Love Begins

One evening on the Island of Sodor, it had been a few months since Great Waterton was restored and Thomas went missing but then reunited with the Steam Team. Because he went missing, he was now much more precious to Emily than before. But Thomas was also a magnet for another lively engine: Rosie. She was spellbound by Thomas since minute one and loved him so much that she'd try to mimic his movements and sounds, although Thomas didn't approve of it.

Although Rosie was friendly and helpful, especially after helping Emily save Thomas from the diesels, Emily still had her doubts about the lavender engine. Thomas didn't seem to notice that Rosie loved him, but Emily still worried immensely if Thomas would fall for this tank engine. Rosie was certainly cute, with her lavender-pink paint, lively personality and her face dotted with freckles, but Thomas only found Rosie to be cute, nothing else. He found Emily cute at times, but always, very beautiful. To him, Emily would always be the most beautiful engine ever.

On this particular evening, Emily and Rosie had just finished delivering the Funfair Special for the children. When the day started, Rosie was disappointed that she didn't get to pull it by herself. Instead she was set up to be the back-engine. She tried to take it herself, but ended up leaving half of it behind with Emily. Along the way, Rosie lost the coconut truck, the pink sugar truck and the flatbed with the seats for the Ferris Wheel. But she gathered them together again and helped Emily the rest of the way to the fairgrounds.

Besides the Funfair Special, Emily had to gather milk from High Farm. She remembered seeing Thomas on her way there at one of the signals. What Thomas didn't notice was that Rosie was following Emily closely and was whistling loudly, trying to get his attention, but Thomas didn't notice due to being so spellbound by Emily's beauty. This made Rosie cross. Back at the Funfair, as Rosie frowned secretly to herself, she heard Thomas' whistle and perked up. He had come to watch the Funfair.

"Hi, Rosie!" he called. Rosie squeaked with excitement when he addressed her first. "Hi, Thomas!" she whistled. Emily sneered at Rosie. "_No you don't,_" she thought. "_Don't you dare try to hit on Thomas._"

"And hello, Emily," Thomas added. Emily felt better. Thomas gave Emily a wink then went off to find a better spot to watch the Funfair. Rosie was jealous once again. He didn't give her a wink.

"Hey! How come Thomas didn't wink at me?" she asked cheekily. Emily was surprised by this sudden change in behaviour.

"What do you mean, Rosie?" Emily asked. "Ever since I first came here, I liked Thomas very much. So much in fact, I wanted to copy him," Rosie peeped.

"Rosie, I told you before, mimicking his movements annoys him! Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but I don't do it in plain sight. I have a respect for him and I don't imitate him at all. And he's known me for longer."

"Oh really!" Rosie wheeshed. "There are still two times you got swooned over by him! Why couldn't that be me?!"

Emily blushed embarrassingly. She knew what Rosie was referring to. Before the discovery of Great Waterton, two other events occurred. The first event was shortly before Whiff came to work with Emily…

* * *

On this day, she was taking flour along the line to deliver to the bakery when her whistle would suddenly not whistle. A valve got stuck and no steam would pass through it. It was too dangerous to pull trains without a whistle. A whistle was a top priority for safety. Not only was it used to greet passing engines, but it could also alert nearby engines or people for to watch out or stand clear. She had to stop in a siding and wait either for workmen to come fix her joint or for an engine to come help.

Suddenly, she gained a ray of hope as she heard an engine coming towards her. Although she remained sad, she felt happy when Thomas came up alongside. Emily told him about her jammed whistle.

"Please, Thomas. Will you help me to the bakery?" she asked. Thomas had already helped James' passengers to Maithwaite when his coupling rod snapped. Thomas felt bad about delaying the storyteller's trip to Pirate's Cove, but he remembered what Salty told James once: "No job is more important than helping another engine."

"I'm sorry," puffed Thomas to the famous storyteller. "I cannot take you to the ruined castle. I have to help my friend." And as he switched to Emily's line, he said, "No job is more important than helping another engine…and Emily is the most beautiful and special engine of all." He buffered up to Emily and took her to the bakery. "Thank you, Thomas!" cried Emily. Thomas pulled Emily along. She felt thankful, but also spellbound by this engine's strength.

"_Goodness! You're very strong, Tommy. I like that,_" she thought to herself.

As Thomas kept pulling along, he didn't see that Rosie was following them from another line behind the trees, practically chasing them. Thomas arrived at the bakery just in time. Emily was pleased. "Thank you again, Thomas," she smiled.

"Anytime, darling," Thomas answered. As he puffed away, Emily blushed at hearing "darling."

"_He must really like me,_" she thought. When Rosie overheard that, she became more and more determined to get Thomas away from Emily.

* * *

Back in the present, Emily asked Rosie, "How did you know about that?!" Rosie cheekily told Emily that she followed them.

"Now that's very wrong. Stalking me when I needed help!" Emily scolded.

"Thomas is for me! Even that event with Spencer won't help you win Thomas!" Rosie yapped. Emily turned very red in the face, even more embarrassed as she remembered the second event…

* * *

Recently after Emily worked with Whiff, Spencer was at Tidmouth Sheds, working for the Duke and Duchess once again and bragging that Thomas wasn't worthy to help the Duke, stating he wasn't as fast, shiny or strong. Of course, like many other engines on Sodor, Emily hated Spencer with her soul…almost more than she hated Gordon and James. When she saw Thomas get cross, she decided to amuse her little engine.

"At least Thomas doesn't get puffed up in the boiler, Spencer!" she snapped. "If it weren't for your tacky tender or steam power, you'd be a diesel! You already look like one!" Spencer's grumbles were drowned out by all the engine's roaring laughter.

The next day, Thomas was still cross and tried to match Spencer's skill by going as fast as he could go. Emily was waiting at a signal, when she saw Thomas shoot past her.

"Slow down, Thomas!" she whistled. "You'll never get round the bend!" Thomas slammed on his brakes just in time. He backed up to apologize to Emily.

"I'm sorry I scared you, Emily. I'm just cross at Spencer."

"That engine deserves to be bumped into a rubbish pile," Emily said. "But don't pretend to be something you're not, Thomas. Spencer has the speed, but he will NEVER have your kindness, or charm. Please be careful." Thomas promised and went back on his way, slowly.

"Maybe I can't be faster than Spencer," he chuffed. "But I can still be shinier and stronger." Later, Thomas was at the washdown. "I'd like the shiniest polish ever," he said. Thomas was rubbed and scrubbed until he sparkled and shone. It took a very long time. Toby pulled up next to Thomas.

"Look Toby," whooshed Thomas proudly. "I've never been so shiny."

Toby had an urgent message for Thomas. "You have to shunt stone at the quarry," he steamed. "They're waiting for you now." So Thomas huffed quickly away. On the way, he passed Emily once again, slowly this time. She noticed Thomas and gasped. Never had she seen her favorite engine looking so spotless, shiny and perfect. She squealed with uncontrollable delight. Thomas heard the squeal and backed up. "Emily? What is it?" Thomas asked. Emily just gaped and exclaimed.

"T-Thomas! Y-you…Oh, my…Oh-oh-OH…!" Suddenly, her eyes drooped shut and she let out a deep exhale. She had fainted from her overexcitement. "Emily? Emily!" Thomas shouted. "Are you alright?" But Emily didn't respond. Thomas deduced that she had fainted. He knew Mavis was waiting for him at the quarry, but Thomas cared more about Emily's well-being than any work.

"I can't go to the quarry and leave her like this!" he said frantically. Thomas' fireman phoned the quarry manager about Thomas' plan. The quarry manager was reluctant but agreed. Thomas left the trucks in a nearby siding and ran over the points onto Emily's line so he could face her. Emily was still unconscious when Thomas buffered up to her. He gently pushed her to another siding surrounded by trees. Emily was now in the cool shade. As Thomas stayed buffered up to her so she'd feel safe when she came to, she could see something through her closed eye vision…

_She felt like she was in Tidmouth Sheds all by herself. Only Thomas was there with her and facing her. He was still very shiny and polished and she could not look away from him. She thought he was the most handsome form she ever laid eyes on._

_"Thomas…" she whispered. "I don't want anyone to intrude…"_

_"Emily," Thomas replied. "Just relax…It's just you and I tonight…your handsome knight in shining armor…and I have you as my beautiful queen."_

_Emily blushed deeply as Thomas spoke. Then, he moved forward very slowly. Emily's excitement increased dramatically and Thomas did the most amazing thing to Emily…he kissed her cheek. It wasn't a forceful or dominating one…just a gentle, loving, kind kiss on her cheek. She felt so surprised, happy and spellbound at the same time. Feeling this engine's smooth lips on her cheek made her blush almost purple and she let off steam with pure delight. When Thomas released he saw her gaping at him._

_"Thomas!" Emily exclaimed. "Y-you…you kissed me!"_

_Thomas didn't know what to say after this. He became slightly confused. Before he could respond, Emily spoke again._

_"You darling little engine! You kissed me!" she repeated._

_"Emily…What do you…?" Thomas asked when Emily suddenly kissed him back, right where she truly kissed him for the first time. "I wanted you to kiss me for such a long time!" she chimed._

_"Really? I d-didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."_

_"Uncomfortable?! That made me feel like I was in the clouds! Oh, Thomas!" Emily laughed. "It felt so lovely! Please, kiss me again…" she pleaded._

_"Certainly, honey," Thomas said coyly, raising his eyebrow. "As much as you want."_

_Slowly and gently, they inched closer, their eyes became heavy and closed, then, their lips began to dance over each other. Like the first dream Thomas and Emily had, once again, it felt amazing, fireworks went off around them and they weren't being hard and forceful with these kisses. They were going nice and gentle with each other. Eventually, they pulled away to catch their breath. As they looked each other in the eye, they could only say one thing to describe this moment._

_"I love you," they whispered simultaneously. Then, they came back together. This time, they exchanged short, simple kisses by the lips. It tickled lightly but still felt absolutely wonderful. Their kisses felt soft, warm and gentle. It made them both feel safe and very happy. Both engines were enjoying this immensely and didn't think this could be a dream…Then Emily spoke again._

_"Thomas…Please…let me kiss you...your shiny paint is driving me wild!" she exclaimed._

_"Go right ahead, your majesty," Thomas said smoothly. Emily then dotted his face with kisses wherever she could reach. Thomas kept whispering his love for her as she worshiped his face for six more minutes. Her lips had that special feeling of soft warmth which no other female engine could have. There was Rosie, Daisy, Mavis and Molly. Even if Thomas did get a chance to be kissed by them, none of them could compare to Emily's impossibly enjoyable kisses. Suddenly, she felt a desperate need to feel Thomas' lips again._

_"Thomas…kiss me…I want to feel your lips on my face again…please?" she said with her eyes sparkling so innocently._

_"Your emerald paint is calling to me…I must have you," Thomas said seductively. Then he moved closer again and simply kept kissing her cheeks, softly and gently for several minutes. Emily couldn't stop whispering for more or repeating, "Thomas…Thomas…" over and over. Just hearing Emily speak his name drove Thomas to keep kissing her heavenly face. Eventually after eight minutes, when Thomas stopped, they eyed each other once more and kept repeating each other's names in unbreakable love._

_"Thomas...My darling Thomas..." Emily whispered._

_"Emily…Oh, Emily…Emily…" Emily felt herself slipping out of the sheds and out of the vision…_

"Emily…Emily!" she heard a familiar voice say. Emily opened her eyes and dawned back to the real world. She saw she was in the shade of the trees and saw Thomas in front of her. The shade was hiding his polished shiny look. As she realized it was just another dream, she groaned with utter annoyance, then looked like she was about to cry. Thomas was very sure she had another dream she wished could have been real. But he was more concerned about her fainting.

"What's wrong, Emily?" Thomas asked. "I saw you faint and I was so worried!"

"T-Thomas…" Emily whispered… "Bring me into the sun…"

"Uh…Alright," Thomas said. He brought her out again back to where she first fainted. Now his polished shiny appearance returned. By now, Emily was able to compose herself and just look at Thomas for some time.

"My goodness, Thomas. I have never seen you look so sparkly and refined! But why?" She asked.

Thomas felt ashamed over what he had to say. "I'm sorry, Emily. I can't get Spencer out of my mind. I got a very good polish and wash to try outshining him. I know I can't compare much to him, but he just makes me fume as much as when I attacked those…those…THINGS!"

Emily knew what Thomas meant and understood perfectly. Then Thomas made a promise to her. "If nothing works today, I promise, Emily, I'll stop trying to match Spencer," he said. With that, he regathered the trucks and was on his way…

* * *

Back in the present, once again, Emily asked Rosie how she learned of that event too. Rosie claimed that she once again saw the whole thing from behind the trees on the other line and followed them around. Although Rosie didn't know about the dream, Emily was most affronted.

"Now I'm very embarrassed," she groaned. "Can't Thomas and I be left in peace?!"

"I can't get Thomas out of my mind, Emily! I must have him!" protested Rosie. "Aren't I cute, like he is?"

"I'm sorry, Rosie, but my beauty outshines yours by many times! My smoke-box looks like a beautiful woman's hair. You do look cute, but you do only have pressure bars beside your smoke-box."

That didn't please Rosie. In her mind, she was the right engine for Thomas…mostly because she was close to his size, and that gave her an idea to backtalk Emily.

"Well!" she pouted. "At least I'm not any heavier than I am!"

"Heavier?!" Emily gasped, rather offended.

"I AM Thomas' size. The perfect size. He'd find it odd to have a girlfriend who is bigger than he is!"

Now Thomas' boiler was slightly taller than Emily's but when it came to height, Emily's funnel just beat his all-around height. Her length was definitely bigger with larger wheels and a tender, but she knew Thomas liked her wheel-size…and she felt proud of being larger than Thomas. She thought how Thomas would feel about that prospect and giggled to herself.

"What are you laughing at?" Rosie chipped.

"Thomas wouldn't find it odd…I think he's very lucky to have a girlfriend bigger than he is! It makes me feel…well, excited! Maybe someday, our dreams will come true…I know they will."

"I don't think so! He's MINE!" Rosie wheeshed. "Lavender-pink is a girl's perfect colour!"

"Emerald green is even better!" Emily retorted. "Thomas says I'm as beautiful as an angel! He never said such things about YOU!"

"How dare you!" Rosie squeaked.

The two ladies snapped and argued and fought until Thomas' whistle and voice interrupted them.

"Knock it off, you two! What's going on?"

Emily and Rosie stopped quarreling and both fell silent when they saw Thomas in front of them.

Rosie was very embarrassed. She turned red in the face and scurried away by herself. Emily felt bad when she heard quiet sobs from the lavender engine. She immediately felt terrible for fighting with Rosie. Somewhere in her, Emily liked Rosie and did want to be a friend, but that would not be easy when she had a rivalry for Thomas, the engine who changed Emily's life for the best.

"Rosie, come back! I'm sorry!" Emily called. But Rosie was too sensitive to listen. "This isn't over," she said to herself. "Someday, you'll love me, Thomas…" But at the same time, Rosie did feel a little vulnerable herself. She secretly knew Emily was indeed beautiful and that competing for Thomas would not be easy. Meanwhile, Thomas was talking to Emily.

"What was all that about?" he asked, slightly stern.

Emily didn't want to tell Thomas about her rivalry with Rosie, but she knew she had to tell him something.

"I was just thinking about you, Thomas…then Rosie and I got into a quarrel about our beauty." She repeated some of the remarks she and Rosie exchanged, both intriguing and annoying Thomas. When Emily finished, Thomas spoke again.

"Remember what the Fat Controller said, Emily? Really useful engines don't argue."

Emily felt slightly silly and ashamed. "I'm sorry, Thomas. I feel bad arguing with other engines. I just want Rosie to be more of a friend to me."

"I'm sure, one day she will be, Emily. Remember when she helped you save me from the diesels? That must have meant something."

"It did, but I wish she'd get along with me more. I think that would be just wonderful."

On their way back to the sheds, Emily caught sight of Rosie, crying quietly by herself in a siding. Thomas saw Emily roll up to Rosie. He decided to leave them alone in the hopes that they'd make some amends.

"Rosie…I know we might not work as the best of friends…but I'm truly very sorry we fought," Emily apologized.

But Rosie wasn't only crying over their argument. "I'm such a silly engine for trying to take the Funfair Special away from you, Emily. I love Thomas, but I don't want us to fight," she whimpered.

"Neither do I. I'm very happy that we got to watch the children play," said Emily. "Goodnight, Rosie."

"G-goodnight, Emily."

And so, Emily left Rosie on her own and caught up with Thomas. As they went around the bend, Rosie thought about how she could get a better chance at winning Thomas over. "_If we can't fight or argue,_" she thought. "_I should just beat Emily to Thomas!_" she thought. "_If they need to work separately, that will be perfect for me!_" And chuckling to herself, she raced away to find a shed of her own and think about some potential activities she and Thomas could engage in. But this was only the beginning of the Battle of Love between the beautiful emerald engine and the cute lavender engine.

* * *

This is it, it's finally here, probably the most anticipated chapter in the whole chapter, the beginning of Emily and Rosie's rivalry. And for those wondering, yes the kissing dream is suppose to be a subtle buildup to their first kiss in "Fortunate Circumstances" and I wanted it to have the same atmosphere and emotion, compared to other kissing scenes I have written, this is easily by far the tamest one. Well lads if you were excited for the start of the rivalry, wait for the end of it, but that's not for another eight chapters. With all that said leave a review and next chapter we're finally entering the CGI era with "Hero of the Rails." See ya then!


	18. Hero of the Rails

It was summer on Sodor. The sky was bright blue, the fields were full of flowers, and the birds sang sweetly, but it wasn't going to be a very smooth summer. For Thomas and the rest of the Steam Team, something strange and very amazing was about to happen…

One day, Thomas and his friends were at Knapford. They were very puzzled. They had all seen a silver streak shoot past them and give them a shock as they went along their lines. Thomas at the water tower, and Henry, James, Emily, Edward and Gordon on the main line.

"He was big," said James. "He was silver," added Gordon. "He was very, very fast," Henry said quickly. "And he was very careless!" added Emily, the angel of Sodor and Thomas' favorite engine. "My trucks jittered and bumped behind me!"

"That must mean it's…" Thomas began, but the silver form came into Knapford with a sleek whistle. "Spencer!" All the engines said together. "Oh, look, it's Spencer, the Steamie-Diesel! Big, silver and full of hot air!" Emily teased, but Spencer was beaming with so much pride, he didn't take notice.

"Hello, Sodor!" he said grandly. "What do you know? I'm here for the summer."

"Why?" asked Thomas. "I have a very important job to do," Spencer explained. "The Duke and Duchess of Boxford are having a new summer house built. It has to be finished in time for the Duke and Duchess's holiday. I'm very busy, no time to chat." And Spencer steamed smugly away.

"Cinders and ashes," said Thomas. "Having 'Speedy Spencer,' on Sodor for one day is bad…"

"But for the whole summer…" added James. "Is terrible," droned Gordon. "Most terribly uncomfortable," said Emily. "With him around, we'll all be too focused on him to enjoy our work this summer!" Emily also knew how discontent Thomas was with having to deal with Spencer. While Gordon was pompous but had some kindness, Spencer seemed to have no kindness at all. "Just thinking about him makes me feel unclean," said Emily. "And Thomas has had to deal with him too much now!"

"You're right, Emily," said Edward. "Thomas shouldn't put up with him for a whole summer…and neither should the rest of us."

That afternoon, Thomas and Percy were huffing and puffing up Gordon's Hill. Then they heard Spencer whooshing and wheeshing behind them. He slowed down beside them. "A little more puff and you might make it to the top by teatime," he teased and sped past. "Bossy boiler!" complained Percy.

Next, Spencer caught up with Gordon. "Hurry up, slowpoke!" whistled Spencer. "Oh, the Indignity," Gordon groused. But Spencer didn't stop there. He called Toby too old to be really useful then blocked him when the signal went green. Then he teased Edward and James over pulling one truck while he was pulling five. All the engines were very cross. That night at Tidmouth Sheds, the engines wished they could talk about looking forward to the summer, but they could only talk about Spencer.

"He told Toby he was too old," said Thomas.

"He's taken over my express line!" Gordon hissed.

"He'll never have a shiny coat like mine!" said James.

"He'll never have manners," added Edward.

"Spencer's scary," concluded Percy.

"He'll never have our trust," said Emily. "I hate him as much as any engine could." Thomas looked at his beauty. "If he ever tried to do anything to you, Emily, I promise, I would make sure he didn't escape red-handed." Emily smiled. "I know you would, Thomas. The best way to deal with him is to keep self-control." Thomas knew Emily was right, thanks to Edward. At least he knew not to give Spencer a too-heavy load. He wouldn't want another tower to collapse and cause even more misunderstanding, like he did with Stanley…

The next day, Thomas was at Brendam Docks. He had a heavy flatbed of machinery to collect. Emily was further behind, waiting in a siding for her train. Spencer was also at the docks. He was being coupled up to five flatbeds of building materials. "Dear, oh dear, Thomas. It's just as well the Duke and Duchess don't have a tiny toy tank engine like you," Spencer smirked. "The summer house would never be finished."

"What do you mean?" Thomas asked sharply. "I mean, Thomas, you just can't pull heavy loads." Thomas was upset, and so were the other engines. This time, Spencer had gone too far. "Yes I can! I can pull just as heavy loads as you!"

"Yes he can! Even heavier!" said Percy.

Emily had overheard this and came into Spencer's sight. "He can pull me…with a full load of flour trucks!" she said, remembering when her whistle jammed and he helped her to the bakery. "He's smaller than me and yet can pull me easily!" Thomas blushed at this while Emily gave him a smile and went back to her siding.

Gordon, for once, supported Thomas' position. "Thomas is NOT a toy!" he growled.

"He's a really useful engine!" Edward said in a determined manner. "And Emily's right. He's very strong," put in James.

The Sodor engines didn't scare Spencer. An idea had bubbled in his boiler. "Very well Thomas," he said smoothly. "Meet me tomorrow at dawn, at the shunting yards. We will have a contest of strength. We will each pull a heavy load and we'll see who can pull it for longer…and for further." Spencer slid slyly out of the docks. Suddenly, Thomas felt very worried. "Bust my buffers, I can't do this! Spencer will win a contest of strength."

The other engines saw that their friend was worried. Percy came up alongside Thomas and said, "You're the number one engine on Sodor, and you'll show Spencer that Sodor Engines are more special than he is! I know that, because you're my best friend." Thomas looked at his best friend. "I will meet Spencer at dawn. And I will win." And Percy and the other engines went on their way.

Emily was worried for Thomas. She knew from past experience that Thomas technically couldn't compete with Spencer, but she also understood that Thomas hated him and was easily provoked by him. But Thomas didn't ask for this challenge like he normally would. That night, after the engines fell asleep at Tidmouth Sheds, she looked at Thomas for several minutes and thought hard. Eventually, sleep began to pull at her energy and she had to settle for the night. She thought about Thomas and Spencer's contest all through the night…

* * *

Early the next morning in the cold light of dawn, Thomas and his friends waited for Spencer. They could see a streak of silver engine puffing towards them. It was Spencer. Thomas felt worried. "I can't do this, Percy," he whispered. "Yes you can, Thomas. You always tell us, we can do whatever we want to…so can you!" said Percy. The tracks were clear for Spencer and Thomas, and both engines were coupled up to their heavy loads. While Spencer smirked proudly at the rising sun, Emily came up alongside Thomas.

"Thomas, I see you're nervous. You don't have to do this," she breathed.

"Emily, Spencer may faster than me, but I don't need to be physically stronger. I just need to concentrate and keep going, no matter the weight. To me, determination wins, not ability," Thomas said. Then he added with a quiet whisper, "And…I'm actually doing this specifically for you."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"If he challenged you, I'd be so scared for you. He could reopen your old wounds with his teasing. So…I'm doing this to protect you from him. It's you who deserves to be free of such challenges."

Emily blushed and smiled. "You always want me to be safe, Thomas. How sweet you are to me, it never fails to touch my heart. Good luck, and think about me as you go. I'm sure it will at least help," she whispered. With that, she reversed back alongside James.

Edward puffed forward to begin the race. "You will each take different tracks around the island. You may only stop for coal and water," he said. Then Edward whistled loud and long. The contest had begun.

Spencer and Thomas pumped their pistons. Thomas puffed off with a heave and a huff. "I can do it. I'll puff for longer. I'll show Spencer I really am stronger!" He said bravely. Spencer smiled as he slid away. "I'll show Thomas who's strong and who's weak," he snickered. "He'll puff home with a squeak and a creak." The other engines watched, and worried. Then, they blew their whistles long and strong. "Good luck, Thomas!" They all called. Emily blew an extra whistle especially for Thomas. "_Good luck, Thomas. I love you,_" she thought sweetly.

Thomas and Spencer puffed around the island. They whooshed through woods, and huffed up hills. Spencer steamed and smiled. He raced and he roared. Thomas puffed and huffed. He heaved and he hauled. "Silly little engine. When will he learn?" Spencer chuckled to himself, beaming with pride. But Thomas was determined. He wouldn't let any tire or pain pull him down if he was to prove anything to Spencer.

"You can do whatever you want, and I want to win!" Thomas huffed as he gained speed. He kept thinking about Emily and all the happiness he gave her. That helped him press on. He came to a steep slope. He was puffing and panting and his axles ached. At last, he reached the top. "Hooray! I did it!" he cheered. Then there was trouble. Hearing a loud crank and crack, Thomas knew too well that he had broken his brakes. He raced down one hill and rattled up the next. "Help! I can't stop!" he shouted. Thomas' heavy trucks pushed him on and on, through a junction where Spencer was waiting. He was very surprised to see a tank engine shoot past him.

"Blistering boilers!" he exclaimed. Thomas sped on into some potato trucks and jam wagons, getting rather sticky, but still, he went on and found himself rolling along an old rickety track. Ahead, Thomas could see a thick wall of bushes. "Fenders and funnels! How can I stop?" he exclaimed. With a scrunch and a crunch, Thomas crashed into the bushes, and came to a stop. "Flaming fireboxes! That was scary," he gasped.

Thomas looked around. After the racing and rattling, it was very quiet. He remembered how he ran through plants and bushes to find Great Waterton, but there was nothing like a town here. It was quiet and still. And no one was around. "Spencer will be back at the shunting yards now," he said vainly. "He'll be puffing with pride because he won the contest, and my best friend Percy will be wondering where I am…And of course, Emily will be very worried, like when I got lost in the mine…I don't know where I am." Everything was very quiet. Thomas didn't know what to do.

Then, he heard a voice, ghostly and shaky. "Hello?" Thomas looked around. There was no one there. He waited, hardly daring to puff. "Hello?" the voice repeated. Thomas still couldn't see anyone, but he was sure the voice was coming from the bushes. Very slowly and carefully, he puffed forward into the bushes. The branches crackled and crunched, much like when he escaped the old, high bridge then found Great Waterton. Then, Thomas gasped. His eyes popped wide with wonder. There, on the other side of the bushes, was a very old engine. It was broken and rusty and looked like Gordon and Murdoch at the same time. Thomas felt scared. He didn't dare speak. Then, the old engine smiled at him. It was a little frightened smile, but it made the old engine look kind and gentle, and it made Thomas feel less scared. The engine also looked wise and with a lot of knowledge.

"Hello," said the old engine. When he spoke, he didn't sound like any engine Thomas knew. His voice was clearly Japanese. "Too bad your brakes failed. Doesn't that always happen when you're on a hill?" The old engine smiled again. Thomas wanted to smile too, but he was still a little scared. He didn't know whether to speak, whistle for help or race backwards as fast as he could chuff. But Thomas didn't move. He couldn't take his eyes off this extraordinary engine. He finally decided to respond. "Hello…my name is Thomas," he said slowly and meekly.

"Ahh. My name is Hiro," said the old engine. Thomas wasn't sure what to say next. He had never met an engine as old or as strange as Hiro. "Why are you here? Where have you been?" Thomas asked. "Ahh. That's a very long story. Do you like stories, Thomas?" asked Hiro. "Yes. The little engines in the hills tell me stories all the time," Thomas replied.

"Then, I hope you will like mine," said Hiro as he began. "I came here a long, long time ago, from another island. I was one of the first steam engines to arrive on Sodor."

Thomas was amazed. "Where is your island?" He asked. Hiro explained everything…

"My island is a long, long way away. There are mountains and snow and sea. There are a lot of railways. I was the strongest engine at home. I was called Master of the Railway."

"How did you get to Sodor?" asked Thomas. Hiro continued. "I came in a very big ship. The journey lasted many days and we sailed many seas. When I arrived at the docks, it didn't look at all like home."

Thomas wanted to know what Sodor was like back then…when he himself still worked on the mainland in green livery.

"It was very quiet. I was the only engine on Sodor. They called me Master of the Railway here too. I was very happy."

"What happened?" Thomas asked.

Hiro sighed with disappointment. "I started to break down. The mechanics didn't have parts for me, so I was put in a siding. I had to wait for parts from my island. I waited and waited, and now, I'm sure parts will never come." Thomas' eyes were wide with wonder. "Do you miss your home?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," Hiro said. "I miss being Master of the Railway." Thomas looked at his sad new friend. He felt sorry for Hiro. "I know! I'll get Sir Topham Hatt. We call him the Fat Controller and he runs our railway now. He will know how to help you."

"No, no!" Hiro said urgently. "Please don't do that! You mustn't tell the Fat Controller!" Thomas was surprised. "Why? He can help you!"

"I'm an old engine that cannot be repaired," Hiro said miserably. "I know what happens to engines who can't be really useful…" Then he sighed. "They're scrapped and sent to the Smelters Yard."

Thomas knew this was no time to break down in tears, but his boiler ached terribly as he remembered his siblings being scrapped. But the dreams he would have of them kept his spirits up enough for him to speak again. He also remembered when the Vicar bought Trevor to put him back in business, when Rusty saved Stepney from the Diesels, how he and Percy helped to restore old Slow Coach, and when Douglas helped Oliver to escape. Normally, telling the Fat Controller was the first and best thing to do in a situation like this, but Thomas could see that his new friend, who was once Master of the Railway was now old, alone and scared. So he made a decision. "I will look after you, Hiro. I won't tell the Fat Controller until you are fixed. You are safe with me. I'm sure I can find the parts to fix you. I promise I'll make you a really useful engine once more." And as his steam rose around himself, he concluded, "I'll make you Master of the Railway again!"

Hiro smiled the biggest smile he ever smiled in a long, long time. "Thank you, Thomas. Thank you for looking after me!" he said. Thomas puffed with pride.

To help Hiro have a better understanding, Thomas told him his backstory, working on the mainland but then coming to Sodor and meeting all his friends, earning his number 1 and Branch Line. Hiro was really drawn in. He heard about some of Thomas' adventures, when he pulled his first train, saving James from the field, meeting Percy and so many other past times. And of course, Thomas told him about how he met Emily. He didn't tell Hiro everything about her yet. He'd save it for another time.

"Very interesting, Thomas. Now, you'd best go and have your brakes fixed," said Hiro.

"Of course. I'll be back, hopefully with parts to help you, Hiro," promised Thomas. And he reversed carefully back to the main line and made his way to the Sodor Steamworks.

* * *

Later that morning, Thomas was having his brakes fixed. Thomas liked the Steamworks. There was hustle and bustle, sparks and spouts. It was lively and friendly. And there was an engine who arrived on the island recently a few weeks ago. His name was Victor, a red narrow gauge engine with a Cuban accent and a no-nonsense but friendly energy. Thomas liked Victor's look and he and the other engines had become good friends with the foreign engine.

"Thomas, tell me my friend, what were you doing in the middle of nowhere, pulling seven loaded flatbeds. Are you crazy? Next time Spencer tells you to do something silly, do me a favor will you? say no!"

"OK Victor." Thomas confidently agreed. He had almost forgotten about the contest with Spencer. His boiler was bubbling with excitement over Hiro. He wanted to tell Victor, but he knew he couldn't. Other engines might hear, then someone might tell the Fat Controller. He had a promise to keep to Hiro. He didn't want him to feel frightened anymore. He would do whatever he could to restore him, but he didn't know how long he could keep this a secret.

"So there you are, Thomas," said a familiar voice. It was Spencer. "Broken down, I see? Seven flatbeds must have been just too heavy for you."

"Good morning Spencer. Well done," said Thomas. Spencer was amazed. He wasn't expecting Thomas to be cheery. "Uh, what did you say?" he asked abruptly. "I said good morning, and well done," repeated Thomas.

"I…I…"

Victor wasn't afraid to stand up to Spencer. He said, "Do you have a job to do, Spencer...or are you just going to stand here gossiping? You're taking up a lot of track." Spencer was shocked. "No one speaks to me like that," he grumbled. Then he slid away, sneering and grumbling. "He's all silver-steam and bossy-boiler that one," joked Victor. Thomas laughed.

"OK, my friend. You're all fixed. Please stay away from Mr. Silver-Steam. The Fat Controller needs you on your branch line," said Victor. "Thank you, Victor," said Thomas. But then a loud clatter rang through the air, shocking them both. Victor groaned annoyingly. "Kevin! What are you doing? How many times do I have to tell you? You don't drop things, you lower things."

Kevin was the small Steamworks Crane and was rather clumsy and rebellious with his hook. "Yes, Boss. Sorry, Boss, I was trying, Boss. Just a slip of my hook." Behind Kevin, Thomas saw something very interesting. A wagon with an old piston cylinder on it. "That would be good for Hiro," he whispered to himself. "I wonder if Victor would let me have it." Thomas puffed away excitedly. That afternoon, Thomas was busy on his branch line. He wanted to finish his jobs as fast as he could puff.

Percy came up alongside him. "Tell me about the contest, Thomas!" he peeped. "I'm sorry, Percy. I can't stop. I have so much to do. I'll tell you all about it later." Percy was disappointed. "Bye then, Thomas," he said with little enthusiasm. Percy was a patient engine, but it wasn't easy to wait when he expected to hear about something from his best friend.

Later, Thomas puffed back to the Sodor Steamworks. He was pleased to see it was very quiet.

"What's going to happen to that old cylinder, Victor?" he asked.

"That heap of old rubbish? It's just taking up space," said Victor. Thomas volunteered to take it away. Victor asked if he was too busy and Kevin asked if he needed help, but Thomas insisted he could take it.

So, he was coupled up to the flatbed and he chuffed cheerfully along towards the track that led to Hiro. Then, he heard the clattering of wheels and pounding of pistons of a big engine behind him. "It's Spencer. I don't want him to see me. He'll wonder what I'm doing with this old cylinder." Thomas huffed and puffed as fast as he could towards a siding. His boiler bubbled as he slowed to a stop. Tall trees hid Thomas from the main line. Spencer's rattle and roar came closer and closer as he rolled by. Then Spencer stopped and reversed. He was on the other side of the trees and Thomas. Thomas hardly dared puff. Spencer listened hard but heard and saw nothing and went on his way to prepare the Duke and Duchess' summer house.

"Bust my buffers," gasped Thomas. "That was close." Hiro was very happy to see Thomas. Thomas' driver and fireman unloaded the old cylinder. "Tomorrow Hiro, I'll come back and we can start work. I have to go back to Tidmouth Sheds now. The other engines will be wondering where I am."

"Thank you, Thomas," murmured Hiro. Thomas smiled and steamed quickly away and puffed back toward Tidmouth. He mainly wanted to see Emily again. So many hours of not seeing her was hard for him and her presence always brightened his day. He chuffed around a bend, then he gasped. He could see the Duke and Duchess' summer house was in construction…right by Hiro's hiding place. As Spencer was on the island for the summer, he'd be sure to find Hiro, tell the Fat Controller and see that Hiro was scrapped. If Thomas was to help his new friend, he would have to be very careful. As he puffed on, all he could do was worry. By nightfall, he returned to Tidmouth Sheds. "Thomas? Where were you?" asked Emily. "We were all wondering about you."

"Long story, Emily. But I'll try to explain everything," said Thomas. He told his friends all about his contest with Spencer. "Broken brakes?" exclaimed Emily. "That doesn't sound good. But you still outran Spencer. He must have been surprised." Emily laughed a little then stopped.

Thomas was going to tell them about Hiro when the Fat Controller arrived. "Tomorrow, you will all have a very busy day. Your jobs will start especially early. So, Thomas, don't puff around the island, pulling heavy loads or any other silly ideas. I need really useful engines, not really broken ones," said the Fat Controller. What he meant by "Broken," was how Thomas' brakes failed from his overload with Spencer, but Thomas secretly grew frightened that he was remotely referring to Hiro, although the Fat Controller hadn't seen him yet.

"Yes sir," said Thomas. Now he didn't dare tell his friends about Hiro. The Fat Controller had spoken, no broken engines.

* * *

The next day, Thomas had a very busy morning. But he wasn't happy. He wanted to be with Hiro. Just then, Percy puffed up. "You look worried, Thomas. What's the matter?" he asked. Thomas looked at his best friend. He always told him everything. "I found the oldest engine on Sodor. His name is Hiro," he said.

"Bust my buffers," gasped Percy. "Where?"

"I'll show you later. I promise. He needs us to look after him. Will you help me?"

"Of course I will, Thomas. What can I do?"

Thomas told Percy to hide his mail trucks and take the machinery to the farm, then go back to delivering the mail.

Percy was excited. He was happy to help Thomas. Percy had puffed a long way. He was on tracks he didn't know. He was looking for somewhere to hide his mail trucks. It wasn't easy to give up his favorite job, but if Percy was to help Thomas, he'd do anything his best friend thought would work. Then Percy stopped at a switch. The switch led to a siding behind a few trees. "This is the perfect place to leave my trucks. No one will find them here." So Percy went into the siding and left his trucks there.

Thomas huffed happily towards Hiro's hideout. He was so busy thinking about Hiro, that he didn't see Spencer steaming up behind him. "What are you doing here, Thomas? You're a long way from your branch line," Spencer steamed.

"I'm on my way to…Brendam Docks," Thomas bluffed as he raced away from Spencer and the summer house as quickly as his pistons would pump.

"This is strange…very strange indeed," Spencer pondered.

Secretly, Thomas was very frightened. He was sure his bluff would summon Spencer to follow him, but to his surprise, he heard nothing. Thomas didn't dare chuff back to Hiro until much later.

"I thought you weren't coming, Thomas," said Hiro.

"I told you, Hiro. I'm not going to let you down," said Thomas. Then Thomas' driver and fireman opened their toolboxes and started work. Soon, Hiro's piston rods were in place. "I'll come back with more parts for you, Hiro," said Thomas.

"Thank you, Thomas. Please don't get into trouble for me. I'm an old engine," said Hiro.

"And I'll make you new again. Bye, Hiro," promised Thomas as he went on his way.

Thomas was puffing home as fast as his pistons could pump. He was late. He had to puff past the summer house. Then Spencer came right up beside him at a switch. "Thomas…you're up to something, aren't you?" Spencer said suspiciously. Thomas didn't answer. He chuffed quickly away. Spencer followed closely behind. Thomas was puffing fast. Then, he saw Percy at the water tower. He looked sad.

"I popped a valve while I was pulling the heavy farm machinery," he said. Thomas felt sorry for his friend. Spencer had followed Thomas and steamed to a stop.

"Dear, oh dear, Percy. You should let a stronger engine pull the heavy loads," he sneered as he chuffed on.

Thomas felt very foolish. Asking his friend for help led to him being broken. Percy was worried the Fat Controller would be cross, but Thomas promised to get him to the Steamworks. Percy felt better. Having Thomas as his best friend was a wonderful thing to be happy for.

All the way to the Sodor Steamworks, the two engines chattered and chuckled about Hiro. The Sodor Steamworks was quiet. Victor was very surprised to see Thomas puff in with Percy. "Flaming Fireboxes! What happened now, my friend?" asked Victor.

"I asked Percy to pull my special for me…his valve popped," explained Thomas.

"Why didn't you pull it yourself?"

"Um…because I…uh…" Thomas hesitated, then Percy tried to speak.

"Because he-" another one of Kevin's clumsy acts interrupted him. Kevin repeated his "hook slip quote," but Victor cut him off.

Then Thomas saw the old parts. He knew Hiro needed them. He knew he would have to tell Victor about him. "Victor…I need your help," said Thomas. "We need your help," added Percy.

"I'll always help you, my friend," said Victor. "What is it you need?"

So, Thomas told Victor about Hiro. Victor was amazed. "Very good. Looking after another engine is very important…especially looking after an old engine. Tell the Fat Controller."

"No," Thomas replied. "We can't do that yet. Hiro's old and broken. The Fat Controller might have to scrap him. But if we make Hiro really useful again, he won't."

Victor knew the Fat Controller despised the prospect of scrapping engines and that he would never do such a thing with confidence, but he could see that Thomas wanted to protect Hiro as much as possible. He finally decided to agree.

"OK. I understand. Whatever I put in this corner of the yard, you can take," he promised.

Thomas and Percy were very happy. "Thank you, Victor," said Thomas. Then Victor turned to Percy and the workmen got to work to fix him. That evening, Thomas puffed into Tidmouth Sheds. The Fat Controller was waiting. He was cross.

"Thomas! I hear Percy was pulling your special, instead of delivering the mail, and now, Percy's mail trucks are missing!" he said sternly.

Thomas felt bad. "Sorry, sir. I don't know where Percy's mail trucks are. I will help Percy find them tomorrow."

The Fat Controller was pleased to hear this. Thomas had took the words right out of his mouth, but he still maintained a loud, authoritative tone. "That's exactly what you'll do tomorrow…by my ORDER!" The Fat Controller's voice boomed around Tidmouth Sheds, from top to tracks. Gordon and James glanced uneasily at each other, remembering when that voice echoed the same way when they were punished after torturing Emily. Thomas' friends looked at him. They knew something strange was going on.

"Thomas? Is everything alright?" asked Edward. Emily looked at Thomas with uttermost concern, wonder and question.

"Thomas, if you have anything to say, tell us and we'll help you," she said.

Thomas huffed a huge puff. He needed his friend's help. He sighed and let everything out.

"I have something very important to tell you." As the stars sparkled above Tidmouth, Thomas told them all about Hiro. The engines had never heard such an amazing story. Emily was utterly speechless. Never did she hear about such a grand and historical engine. They all agreed to try keeping Spencer at bay while secretly restoring Hiro. Thomas also knew that his branch line would need attending to. After the other engines fell asleep, Thomas looked over to Emily. Just before he spoke, he gasped quietly. The moon and stars were shining off her paintwork, making her look not just like an angel…but also a goddess. Thomas couldn't get enough of this beautiful engine. He felt like she was becoming more and more beautiful as time passed. She was unlike any other female engine he ever met. Mavis and Daisy were diesels and Molly may have been good-natured and Flora...was just irrelevant, but Emily's beauty could never be matched. Finally, Thomas managed to speak up to his secret love.

"Emily?" he whispered.

"Yes, Thomas?"

"While we help Hiro, my branch line will need to be taken care of. I remember when the Fat Controller told you to cover that duty while I stayed in the shed during that week…can you do that again for me?"

Right away, Emily was touched by this request. She smiled sweetly at her favorite engine. "Why of course I will, Thomas," she promised. "Nothing would make me happier than to help you."

"Thank you, Emily. I can always rely on you. Goodnight, dear," Thomas whispered.

Emily blushed at hearing that. "Goodnight, sweetie," she whispered. Thomas blushed back at that. These cute remarks were very nice to hear.

* * *

The next morning, Thomas woke up earlier than the other engines. Emily woke up with him. "I'm ready, Thomas," she whispered sweetly. "I'll fetch Annie and Clarabel right away, then I'll look after your trucks. I'm very excited to meet Hiro." Thomas smiled back at her. "Thanks, Emily. I know you'll do well and you'll really like Hiro."

Spencer watched Thomas' every wheel-turn and piston pump. He was too busy watching Thomas to see Gordon go by, pulling a flatbed of old engine parts for Hiro. Thomas saw Gordon. Gordon saw Thomas and they smiled. Thomas had worked hard all day. He was going to the Sodor Steamworks. Gordon steamed towards Thomas. Gordon was beaming from buffer to buffer. He was very happy to be helping Hiro.

"Job done, Job done! Now I must hurry. The express mustn't be late!" he smiled.

"Well done, Gordon!" called Thomas.

"Thank you, Thomas!" called Gordon in a jolly manner.

At the Sodor Steamworks, sparks flew and cogs creaked. Percy was almost ready to leave. Percy and Thomas smiled. Then the Fat Controller arrived. He was cross. "Thomas and Percy, the mail trucks are still missing! Tomorrow, you must find them!" "Yes sir. Of course, sir," said Percy and Thomas. Victor could see that Thomas and Percy were worried.

"Percy, you're fixed. Come on, Thomas. Cheer your friend up."

"I know just how to do that. Follow me, Percy."

"Thomas. This afternoon, I will leave something for you," called Victor. "Thank you, Victor!" called Thomas and Percy.

They puffed up to Hiro's hideout. Percy saw Hiro for the first time. "Hiro, this is my best friend, Percy." "Uh…Hello," Percy said hesitantly. "Hello, Percy," said Hiro. "You have a very special best friend. I think that is because, you are special too." Percy turned red with flattery. "Do you have best friends?" he peeped.

"Yes I do…at home," Hiro said miserably.

"Do you miss them?" Thomas asked.

"I do."

"That's sad," said Percy

"Don't be sad!" Hiro smiled. "Look at my new funnel! Gordon brought it for me…when Gordon smiles, it changes his whole face. It's most interesting." That made Thomas and Percy smile. "Goodnight, Hiro," they said together. "Goodnight, my friends, until tomorrow."

On their way home, Thomas and Percy chuffed cheerily past the summer house. Their wheels whirred and their boilers bubbled.

"Hiro's right. Gordon looks completely different when he wears a smile," peeped Percy.

"True," said Thomas. "It can be said for Emily too. She is truly beautiful, but when she smiles, she looks even more beautiful." Percy could remember the times he spent with Emily. Percy loved her smile too and agreed with Thomas.

Neither of them saw Spencer. Spencer saw them. He was hiding in the shadows. Once they had past, he slid silently out of the siding. "I'm going to find out what that tricky tank engine is doing. It's time for Steely Spencer to hunt for clues."

In the morning, Thomas puffed off with Percy to find his mail trucks. "Are you sure you can't remember where you left them, Percy?" Thomas asked.

"I can't."

"Think very hard, Percy."

"I am, but I can only think about Hiro."

Emily was busy doing Thomas' jobs on his branch line. As she worked, she began to have happy flashbacks when she worked here right after she became herself again. She could recall how much fun she had with Annie and Clarabel and meeting Mrs. Kyndley and smiled to herself. Working out here was becoming one of her favorite jobs to do. She worked as hard as she could, determined to help Thomas and Hiro. But Spencer was watching her. Emily didn't take any notice of him.

"Why is Thomas puffing around the summer house?" he inquired.

"I don't know. Thomas is a busy engine. He chuffs all over the island." This made Spencer cross. "Why are you working on Thomas' branch line?"

"Because, as I said, Thomas is a busy engine!"

"Where is he busy?!"

"You're a big strong engine, Spencer. Why don't you go and look?" Spencer really didn't like this. He stared hard at Emily. Spencer stared so hard, he didn't see Thomas and Percy puff by on the upper track. Nor did he see Edward puff by with a flatbed of engine parts for Hiro. Once again, Spencer huffed up to Emily.

"Thomas is up to something. What is it?" he asked. Finally, Emily couldn't take it.

"You won't exploit ME!" she snapped. "You've caused too much pain to Thomas too many times! Even Diesel is more trustworthy than YOU…and you're a steam engine! Now unless you're asking for defeat, get off my special engine's branch line!"

That evening, Thomas and Percy puffed up to Hiro. "Look at me now!" he declared proudly. His boiler was finished. He was a colourful patchwork of parts. Thomas and Percy were very happy.

"You look wonderful!"

"Hooray!"

"Thank you," chuckled Hiro. "But I'm worried for you. The silver engine was sniffing around here last night. Stay away for a little while. Your friends are taking good care of me. Today, Edward was very wise, and tomorrow, I think James is coming."

"James isn't wise at all," said Percy. "He's a bossy boiler!" Hiro guffawed and laughed. And for the first time, Thomas and Percy heard Hiro laugh, loud, long and happy.

* * *

The next morning, Thomas and Percy searched the quarry for the mail trucks. They couldn't find the trucks, but they found Spencer. Mavis was delighted to see Spencer.

"Spencer! What an honour. Let me take you around the quarry," said Mavis slyly. Although she wasn't hitting on Spencer, Thomas thought it to be absolutely abominable to see a steam engine and a diesel as a couple. Thomas and Percy thought that was very funny. Spencer didn't, he scowled, and he didn't see James puffing by with a flatbed of parts for Hiro. Mavis proudly took Spencer under the slate hopper. He chuffed too quickly and too suddenly. Then, he rolled back too far. Slate and dust flew down his funnel and bounced off his boiler. It made Spencer choke and splutter. Thomas came by, laughing hard. "Well, Speedy Spencer. Now you know what getting all dusty is like, don't you?" He wheeshed.

Later, Thomas and Percy were taking on coal. Then, Thomas heard a familiar whistle, making him secretly blush. Emily chuffed by. She had a flatbed of old parts for Hiro. "Here I come, Hiro!" she whistled. Emily was very excited. "Good luck, Emily!" called Thomas. Then he saw Spencer. Percy gasped. "Cinders and Ashes!" said Thomas. Spencer was being pulled by Edward and shunted by Henry. Slate dust had blocked his funnel. Spencer had to go to the Sodor Steamworks. As he was pulled along, they had to stop at a signal. Emily had already delivered Hiro's parts and was waiting at the signal too.

"Dear, oh dear, Spencer. So much for helping the Duke and Duchess on their summer house. Now it's your turn to be repaired!" Spencer groaned in disgrace as Emily laughed and laughed. Now, Thomas and Percy could visit Hiro safely. They were excited. Hiro looked more and more like a really useful engine.

"Thomas, I must be really, really useful before the Fat controller sees me," said Hiro. "You will be, Hiro. Don't worry. I'll make sure of that," promised Thomas.

Meanwhile, Spencer was at the Steamworks, looking miserable. "Listen, Spencer. Looking miserable doesn't get the job done any faster," said Victor. "Tomorrow, you will be fixed. Come on, give me a smile, just to show me you can." Thomas and Percy puffed in. Once again, Kevin clumsily dropped his load. Victor was about to get after him, but then he saw that Spencer had closed his eyes because of the noise. Victor winked at Thomas. "Uh, no problem, Kevin," he said. "Those hooks can be slippy. You're doing a good job, Kevin. Keep going." With that, Kevin scurried off again. He kept slipping around, dropping loads while Spencer exclaimed through his shut eyes, trying to endure the noise. And Thomas chuffed carefully away from Spencer, and off to Hiro with his new parts.

"Hiro, what do you think about when you're alone?" he asked.

"My home, since I've been talking to you and your friends about it, I miss it more than ever."

Thomas understood how hard it must be for Hiro to be away from home. He wanted to cheer him up. "Tomorrow, Percy is going to puff across the island to get the last part we need for you. Then you will be ready. You won't have to be alone anymore."

"Thank you, Thomas. You understand me well," smiled Hiro.

That night, the Fat Controller was waiting for Thomas at Tidmouth Sheds. He was cross.

"Thomas, the mail trucks are still missing! Spencer is at the Sodor Steamworks, the building materials for the summer house are stacked up at the docks, and you are not working on your branch line! WHAT is going on?" He bellowed.

"I'm sorry sir. Tomorrow, I will make sure everything is put right,"

"Tomorrow then, Thomas," said the Fat Controller.

"Don't worry, Thomas," assured Gordon.

"Tomorrow, Percy will get the last part Hiro needs," said Edward.

"We'll all take it in turns to guard Hiro," suggested James.

"Tomorrow, Hiro will be alright," promised Henry.

"Don't worry," smiled Emily.

"Thank you," exhaled Thomas.

* * *

Dawn broke across the Island of Sodor. Spencer was back on the tracks. "Today, I will find out what Tricky Thomas is up to," he sneered. Spencer was looking for clues. He looked behind bushes, He steamed down sidings and puffed closer and closer to Hiro's hiding place. Suddenly, Spencer whistled long and hard. "What's this, I found?" he sniffed. James and Toby heard Spencer. They pumped their pistons.

"Rattle my rods. I found Percy's mail trucks. They must be part of Tricky Thomas' tricks!" Spencer sniffed.

Suddenly, James and Toby steamed out. Spencer had huffed too close to Hiro. James blew his whistle and Toby rang his bell. Together, they chased the mighty Spencer down the track. And away from Hiro. The three engines raced and whirred towards a junction. Then Thomas chuffed towards Spencer. Spencer was blocked. He couldn't puff forwards and he couldn't puff backwards. And he had Percy's mail trucks. James buffered up from behind, and Thomas buffered up in front. Together, they had apprehended Spencer and hauled him to Knapford Station.

"Spencer, why did you take Percy's mail trucks? You have caused confusion and delay!"

"But I didn't take them," Spencer said abruptly.

"'I'm not interested in your excuses, Spencer! Find Percy and give him back his mail trucks at once!" ordered the Fat Controller crossly.

Thomas steamed away from the station with a smile. Spencer became more and more determined. "I won't let Thomas get away with this!" He fizzed angrily. That afternoon, Hiro was waiting for Thomas. He was excited. His firebox flared and his steam swirled.

"Percy will be here soon with your water ejector," said Thomas. "It's the last part you'll need to make enough steam."

"I wonder if the Fat Controller will have some pictures of me," said Hiro.

"Of course he will," said Thomas. "He will be very proud to have you as part of his railway."

"I'm so happy, I have waited a long time." Suddenly, there was the sound of a loud whistle. It was a whistle they both feared.

"It's Spencer!" exclaimed Thomas.

"He's found us! Help, Thomas! Spencer will make sure I'm sent to the Smelters Yard!"

"No he won't, Hiro. You're nearly fixed. You could puff away from Spencer. Follow me!" said Thomas.

So, with a pounding puff and a heaving huff, Hiro was on the tracks, following Thomas to steam away from Spencer. Hiro steamed down the track, rattling and clattering. His pistons pumped and his boiler bubbled.

"Well done, Hiro!" called Thomas. "Thank you, Thomas!" called Hiro cackling with triumph. Then there was trouble. Spencer snaked onto the tracks beside Thomas. "Found you, Thomas!" He grinned. "Spencer!" Thomas' wheels whirred like the wind. "You won't get away from me this time!" grouched Spencer. Hiro chuffed as fast as he could. He wanted to Wheesh away from Spencer, then Spencer saw Hiro and gasped. Spencer had never seen an engine as Hiro before. "Who are you?!" he exclaimed.

Thomas and Hiro called frightfully to each other. "Hiro!" "Thomas!"

"That engine can't even puff properly!" sniffed Spencer.

Hiro's boiler had started to clatter and clunk. His steam dome shook and his cylinders creaked. Hiro was worried. Without the last engine part, Hiro could only splutter and splutter. Hiro's new lamp broke loose and hit Spencer. Now Hiro's engine started to jutter and jitter. Parts fell off, they clanged and they banged onto the track. "No!" He wailed with terror.

"Don't worry, Hiro!" called Thomas. "You can do it!" "Thomas, help me!" wailed Hiro. But the harder Hiro huffed, the worse he wobbled.

"Keep puffing, Hiro!" called Thomas. More parts clattered and scattered from Hiro's engine. "THOMAS!" Hiro called again.

"You can do it, Hiro!" Thomas repeated. "I don't think he can!" Spencer steamed with triumph. Hiro knew Spencer was right. The Master of the Railway was once more a heap of scrap. Hiro couldn't puff on.

"Is this what you were doing, Thomas? Making a heap of scrap for the Smelter's yard? Because that's the only thing this engine's good for! The Fat Controller will make sure of that!" Spencer sneered.

Thomas felt terrible. He had worked so hard, but he had let Hiro down. "How can I stop Hiro going to the Smelters Yard now?" he asked aloud to himself. Then Thomas heard another whistle. It was Gordon and the express. "I'll race you to Maithwaite, slow-poke Spencer! I'll win!" He jeered as he sped past. "Hurry, Thomas! Keep Hiro safe!" he added.

Although Thomas still hated Gordon and James for hurting the engine he loved so much, he suddenly saw a big sign of care and consideration in Gordon…he was buying time for Thomas and Hiro to get away from Spencer. Spencer was surprised. He saw Gordon thunder ahead with the express and was determined not to let him win.

"Oh no you won't, Gordon! I will!" Spencer shouted as he steamed after Gordon. His funnel flared and his wheels whirred. He didn't see Thomas looking down a smaller track. "Don't worry, Hiro. We'll hide you down here. Everything will be alright." But poor Hiro looked sadder than ever.

Gordon raced toward Maithwaite ahead of Spencer. Spencer was out of puff. Percy's mail trucks rattled behind him. "Come on, keep up!" Gordon laughed. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Spencer couldn't keep up. He had been rushing around the island so much, he couldn't keep speed. Gordon cackled with delight as he saw Maithwaite up ahead. He reached the platform and came first just as the clock ticked to the minute. _"Oh yes!"_ he thought. Spencer wheezed slowly up alongside.

"I won! I told you I would!" Gordon announced grandly. Before Spencer could ease his axles, the door of the express swung open. The Duke and Duchess of Boxford stepped out. They were cross.

"Fumbling Fenders!" gasped Spencer. The Fat Controller was also with the Duke and Duchess. _"Now I'm in trouble,"_ Spencer thought.

"Spencer!" snapped the Duke. "You have let us down! We left you in charge of our summer house! And it's not ready for our holiday! Our friend, Sir Topham Hatt says you spent all day watching Thomas!"

"And taking mail trucks that aren't yours!" added the Fat Controller crossly. "You told me you would take them back to Percy, and you haven't!" Spencer's pride was in pieces. He stammered as he tried to talk his way out.

"They have a very old engine…a heap of scrap, in fact, I was chasing it, because…in fact, sir…you…should…"

"Please, Spencer. Stop!" interrupted the Duke. "Chasing engines that are a heap of scrap?! We'll have to send you back to the mainland. It's quite clear: You're not fit to work!"

"Please, may I help?" said a voice. It was Thomas. "I could work with Spencer at the summer house. I'm sure, together we could have it ready in time."

The Duke and Duchess were delighted. "Thank you, Thomas!" exclaimed the Duke. "That is most kind of you. Please, keep an eye on Spencer? He's clearly not feeling well." Spencer wheeshed steam. It was all too terrible.

* * *

It was getting late as Thomas chuffed to see Hiro. Hiro was very sad. Thomas wanted to cheer him up.

"I'm sorry, Hiro. The parts didn't hold without the last part Percy was to bring…but you still held out very well, going so fast."

Hiro felt pleased by this, but didn't feel too much better. Then he remembered…Emily had to bring parts to him. She didn't get a chance to talk to him as she had to rush back to Thomas' branch line, but he was very interested in her.

"Thomas…one engine bringing parts for me…was emerald green, and very beautiful…who is she?"

Thomas grew very excited. This meant that Hiro had laid eyes on the one engine Thomas could never live without. He thought this would be a good chance to tell Hiro.  
"Hiro, I have wanted to tell you this since we began helping you…Percy may be my best friend…but the emerald engine is my most special friend of all the Steam Team…her name is Emily."

"Emily," murmured Hiro. "She didn't get a chance to talk with me…can you tell me some things about her?"

Thomas took a deep breath and spoke what he would...

"Emily is very kind and considerate of all our feelings. I have helped her many times since I met her and we have had many adventures together. Eventually, she became rather bossy and rebellious with us, but it's not her fault…she was bullied terribly by two other engines. That made her think that returning the favor would stop them, but I never lost faith in her. I helped her overcome her fears and become kind again. In fact, I think she's even better. She looks much happier than ever before and even when she gets sad, I always find a way to keep her happy. I'm sure you'll be able to talk with her soon while we protect you."

Hiro was most amazed. He was looking forward to meeting Emily and speaking with her, but then his hopes melted when he recalled falling apart. "What's wrong, Hiro?" Thomas asked.

Hiro looked around at his broken self. "You did everything you could, Thomas…but I know now, I'll be sent to the Smelters Yard."

Thomas felt a twinge of despair as he remembered what happened to his brothers and sister, but he was determined not to let that happen to such a grand and special engine like Hiro. "No! No you won't," he said sharply. "I know how you feel, Hiro. My brothers and only sister were pulled out of business when a new engine class replaced them and they were sadly all scrapped. But they lived on a different railway. This is Sodor and my controller hates the prospect of scrap. You are Master of the Railway! I won't let that happen to you, I promise. Don't give up." And Thomas steamed sadly away to Tidmouth.

All the engines, most especially Emily and Thomas were worried about Hiro and cross with Spencer. "I'm sorry I left my mail trucks so close to Hiro. I didn't know he was there," said Percy. "It looked like a very good hiding place."

"Don't worry, Percy," said Thomas. "We all did our best."

"What shall we do now?" asked Henry.

"I'm going to tell the Fat Controller," said Thomas.

"Why?" asked Emily.

"We tried to fix Hiro by ourselves, it didn't work. We need his help. First of all, I'll finish the summer house with Spencer. Then the Fat Controller will know that I'm a really useful engine. And he will want to help me."

The other engines were quiet. They knew Thomas was right, but they were worried for Hiro. He was their friend. They wanted to look after him.

Thomas spoke again. "While I'm busy, will you all go and visit Hiro?"

"Of course we will, Thomas" smiled Edward. All the engines whistled. They were a team for Hiro.

"Wonderful!" whistled Emily. "I can't wait to talk to Hiro!"

"What's that, Emily? It'll take a little patience," Thomas said playfully. Emily chuckled and understood what Thomas meant. "OK," she said. "It'll be more worth it." And with that, she fell asleep with the other engines, feeling even more excited…

* * *

For the next few days, Thomas and Spencer worked on the summer house busily. Thomas didn't let Spencer out of his sight. Thomas' friends all looked after Hiro. He was never alone for long. He always had one engine or more by his side to keep him company and guard him if Spencer ever tried to come by, but after losing against Gordon, Spencer was confined to working on the summer house. Meanwhile, Emily still had a few more trains to cover on Thomas' branch line. She was getting more and more anxious to meet Hiro, but she understood that as she waited more, meeting Hiro would be more worth it. He laughed and told stories about his homeland to Gordon, Emily and Percy. When Gordon and Percy left to leave, Hiro noticed that Emily stayed put. He thought now would be the time to get to know her a little better.

"Emily?" Hiro asked. Emily's eyes widened slightly with excitement. Now she could talk to the Master of the Railway.

"Y-yes, Hiro?" she stammered.

"Thomas has told me a lot about you. That you're the most special friend he has. Have you any stories to tell me?"

"Well, Hiro. I do have one to tell, but it's a rather dramatic one." Emily told Hiro about how she met Thomas and accidentally took his coaches but then saved him and Oliver from a collision. Then how she tried to befriend Gordon and James but then they kept hurting her and driving her away from her kind self. Hiro was so emotionally drawn into this, he nearly cried as Emily told him how faithful Thomas was to her and how much he depended on her happiness. Emily even told him about when she kissed his cheek after becoming so happy upon returning to herself again. When Emily finished her stories up until the present day, Hiro remained silent for almost a minute…then he spoke.

"Emily, my dear lady…I have never heard such a history of an engine like you! Speaking of my name, that makes Thomas a true hero."

"You're right, Hiro. But I must ask you…I'm still trying to get over my darker days and I feel like I can't forgive myself for what I did wrong. Do you think I can?"

For the first time, Hiro was firm. "Emily," he said with a mildly serious tone. "Thomas is right: You were never to blame for your misdeeds. You had an understandable reason behind it and for that, you are not to blame. If you want to move away from a terrible past, you have to forgive yourself first. If you can do that, the past will never trouble you again."

Emily wasn't sure if she could do this yet, but she took Hiro's words to heart. "…OK, Hiro. You're very kind and caring, just like Thomas."

"He is a pure, forever blessing for you," said Hiro. "Never stop thanking him and always be his friend," said Hiro.

"I promise. He's the greatest friend I've ever had and we promised we'll always be the best of friends," smiled Emily. "Well, Edward will be along soon. It was wonderful meeting you, Hiro. You have friends and protectors here for you."

"Thank you, Emily. May you and Thomas live on in happiness and pure friendship!" Hiro called as Emily steamed away.

Although Emily had left, Hiro still had the rest of Thomas' friends to interact with. He listened to Edward's wise words, and cared that Henry had to have special coal. He admired James' shiny red coat and thought Toby was very special, the only steam tram he had ever met.

The Duke and Duchess came to visit the summer house. It was almost complete. They were very pleased. Spencer beamed. He told them all about it, while Thomas puffed quietly away to see Hiro. Hiro was happy to see Thomas.

"Hello, Thomas, my best friend," smiled Hiro. "Hello, Hiro," said Thomas. "Did you get a chance to talk to Emily?"

Hiro smiled grandly. "I did, Thomas. She is a wonderful engine. Her story fascinated me, and I heard about what you did to defend and save her. That makes you a hero." Then he suddenly chuckled. "Like me!"

Thomas smiled but then grew a serious look. "Did she tell you about Gordon and James?"

Hiro looked slightly annoyed. "Yes. I can't believe she was treated so terribly but it doesn't much matter. You saved her and that's what is important."

"You know, Hiro…just between you and me, although Gordon and James have done a lot to help you back to health…I still haven't forgiven them for what they did to her. Something in me tells me they will never be cleared of that, I daresay, crime."

"Thomas," persuaded Hiro. "I'm sure I would feel the same if I had a friend who was bullied that bad, but you need to let go of that past. Gordon and James were pure fools to behave like that, but you can't let one sin make you lose complete trust in them. They've shown a commitment in helping restore me to service again"

This gave Thomas very mixed feelings. Of course, one must be forgiven for one's mistakes, but he wasn't sure about Gordon and James. He looked back to some memories…

Back then, Gordon truly did do some good. He helped James up the hill on slippery tracks and spent some time pulling trucks. When Thomas fell down the mine, Gordon came to his rescue and agreed to form an alliance. "United we stand, together we fall," he had said. Thomas just wished they kept true to that alliance more often. There was a time when Gordon accidentally took on Henry's special coal. He thought it would help him go faster and set a new Sodor record. But when he heard the news from Thomas that Henry was ill, he couldn't stand the bad feeling. As a result, he ended up saving Henry by switching tenders and losing the record. He had also helped Thomas retrieve the Fat Controller's runaway car.

As for James, even he had a few good turns in his life. He pulled the express well after Gordon was switched onto a loop and had to return to the same station where he started. There was also the time when James helped to cheer up Mrs. Kyndley by taking her to the fair after her sister wasn't able to come and visit her. He also went out of his way to shunt Diesel to the works once, even on a tight schedule to deliver coal to all the stations in winter. And even after James laughed at Emily for working with Whiff, he chose to help Thomas, Percy and Emily finish all of their jobs so that they could go the Festival of Light at the Scottish Castle, even though he got covered in coal dust, quarry dust and fish.

But at the same time, they were still "silly stick-in-the-mud's," to Thomas. Gordon, in general was very full of himself and didn't take friendship much to heart. And James just teased the other engines a lot. Thomas had no answer for Hiro.

But he could see that Hiro was sad. He understood that he was afraid despite multiple reassurances. "Hiro, I won't let you be scrapped. Believe me. Tonight, I will fix everything."

* * *

Thomas chuffed back to the summer house, just in time to say goodbye to the Duke and Duchess.

"Thank you, Thomas," said the Duke. "Without you, Spencer would never have finished on time. Spencer huffed angrily. "I have to go to Knapford now," said Thomas. "Why?" asked Spencer. "To see the Fat Controller," said Thomas. Spencer snarled. "You're going to tell the Fat Controller about that silly scrap engine. I'll get there first to make sure your plan doesn't work! That engine WILL be sent to the Smelters Yard where he belongs!" So Spencer pumped his pistons and clickity-clacked after Thomas.

Thomas heard Spencer's wheels whooshing and whirring behind him. "I'll puff hardest, I'll chuff quickest! I know I can!" called Thomas.

Thomas and Spencer had the race of their lives. However hard Spencer tried, he couldn't catch Thomas. Thomas kept thinking about Hiro and of course Emily to keep ahead. At a junction, Thomas puffed ahead. Then he turned quickly onto a side track. Spencer thundered on and screeched to a stop. Spencer reversed back to the junction. He raced after Thomas along the narrow track. The rickety old track went over marsh lands. Thomas knew it was the fastest way to Knapford. Thomas huffed and Spencer puffed. Spencer was closer and closer. Then there was trouble! The track was broken, and Spencer was too heavy! With a creak and a crack, the track snapped beneath him! The mighty Spencer slid into the muddy marsh. Thomas stopped. He knew what had happened, but he could do nothing.

"I'm sorry, Spencer. I didn't know the track was broken. I'll go out and get help. I'll be back," said Thomas. And he steamed off.

After Thomas left, Spencer had to wait. By now, he was humiliated and ashamed. Twenty minutes later, Henry came over the bridge with a freight train. "Please help me!" Spencer wheezed. Henry was cross when he saw Spencer.

"Call yourself a private engine?! You're a disgrace to every railway! Find a siding of your own to rot in!" he grouched and blew steam at him as he passed by. Spencer sighed with embarrassment. An hour later, James came by too. Spencer pleaded for help again but James didn't help.

"You disgraced the Duke and Duchess…too bad," He frowned. Another half hour passed and Emily came by with another train. "I always knew you had the heart of a diesel…devious, scheming and full of hot air!" She laughed at Spencer's defeat as she glided past. Then finally, as evening began to close in, Gordon passed over the marsh.

"Ha-ha-ha! Serves you right!" He jeered. By now, Spencer was too miserable to reply to anyone.

"How foolish and downright stupid I've been," he wheeshed sadly.

Meanwhile, Thomas was nearing Knapford when he saw Emily.

"How is Hiro, Thomas?" she asked.

"He's alright…for now. And Spencer is stuck in the marsh. At least he can't do any harm," said Thomas.

"I saw him," said Emily. "It serves him right. He can stay there for a few days for all I care!" Thomas understood how Emily felt, but he couldn't help but pity Spencer. Even the meanest engines could be felt sorry for when they came to a defeat…

Thomas chuffed into Knapford. He was tired and dirty. The Fat Controller was having dinner with the Duke and Duchess. The stationmaster telephoned him and asked the Fat Controller to come to Knapford right away. Thomas' traction rods were trembling. His wheels wobbled. He knew he now had to tell the Fat Controller everything about Hiro. The Fat Controller listened.

"Hiro is an old and important engine. I didn't want him scrapped. That's why we tried to fix him ourselves." The Fat Controller stared at Thomas.

Thomas was worried. He was now sure the Fat Controller would scrap him. After five full minutes of silence, the Fat Controller spoke.

"Did you say…Hiro?"

"Yes, sir," answered Thomas.

"You mean…the Master of the Railway?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, he's terribly famous," said the Duchess.

"Famous?! He's Master of the Railway!" exclaimed the Fat Controller. "Why would you think I would scrap the Master of the Railway, Thomas? Why didn't you ask me?"

"Because I was silly, sir. And worried. So I tried to fix him alone."

"You're not alone anymore. We must help Hiro at once. Send him to the Sodor Steamworks. Victor will have his funnel bright and his pistons pumping in no time."

Thomas was so happy, he wanted to whistle and wheesh.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you!" He said. Then he remembered the marsh… "What about Spencer?" he asked.

"I told Spencer not to leave the summer house," said the Duke indignantly. "And he did. So Spencer must wait his turn for help after Hiro."

"Hiro, I've seen the Fat Controller. He knows you're Master of the Railway. You're going to be sent to the Sodor Steamworks, not the Smelter's yard!"

"Hooray for Thomas!"

"Hooray for Hiro!" the two engines rejoiced together.

* * *

The next day, Thomas and Percy heaved and hauled Hiro to the Sodor Steamworks. The Fat Controller was waiting.

"Welcome, Hiro. It's a pleasure to meet you after so long," said the Fat Controller.

"Thank you, sir. I thank you very much. And I thank you for Thomas."

"Thomas did his best. Victor make sure that you will soon be Master of the Railway once more."

"Of course, sir. Anything for you. I will do my very, very best. We all will."

"Sorry boss!" called Kevin as another clatter stirred up a racket.

"I'm sorry, sir," said Victor embarrassingly. "Very slippy hook." "So I see," said the Fat Controller as they both eyed Kevin.

"Don't worry, Hiro. Victor is the best," said Thomas.

And so, the repairs began. Hiro was repainted a deep navy-blue and had large name plates on both sides clamped on. A new funnel was polished and placed on and in spite of Kevin falling on his side and displeasing Victor, eventually Hiro was completely restored.

A few days later, all the engines went to see Hiro. He puffed forward slowly. Gordon was speechless, Henry, Edward and Toby smiled. The engines gasped. Hiro looked wonderful, as good as new. "Goodness, Hiro!" said Emily. "You look like you're freshly built! Spencer will have to eat all the words he has said!"

"How do you feel, Hiro?" Thomas asked.

"Very happy, Thomas," smiled Hiro. "I never thought this day would come."

"Job done, Victor," said the Fat Controller. "Welcome back, Master of the Railway."

"Thank you sir," said Hiro.

"Now, Thomas," added the Fat Controller. "Go and get that Spencer out of the mud."

Spencer was still sulking. After a few days of no one coming to help him, he didn't have much faith and he felt like he didn't deserve help at this rate. But then, he saw Thomas puff up. "Here I am, Spencer. I've come to help you."

"You can't help me, Thomas. You're not strong enough," groaned Spencer.

"You're right, Spencer. But I have just the engine who can help you." Thomas puffed forward and Hiro came up beside Spencer.

"Who are you?" asked Spencer.

"I am Hiro."

"Are you the scrap engine?"

"I WAS the scrap engine."

"Blistering Boilers!"

"Spencer, it's time to get you out of the mud." When Hiro puffed forward he had Rocky with him. "Hello, Spencer. What do you know?" Spencer merely scowled at this in his own disgrace.

Hiro shunted and shifted Rocky into the right place. Very slowly and carefully, Rocky lifted Spencer back onto the track. Then with a mighty heave and haul, Hiro pulled Rocky and Spencer towards the Sodor Steamworks. When Spencer was fixed, he joined Hiro and Thomas. Together the three engines worked on the summer house. They huffed and puffed their hardest.

"Thomas, I'm sorry I thought you were a tricky engine. And Hiro, I'm sorry I called you a heap of scrap. You are both fine engines and fine friends." Just then, the Duke and Duchess arrived for their holiday. They were delighted with their new summer house.

That night, Thomas and Hiro were resting. Their axles ached and their wheels were weary. Thomas saw that Hiro was sad.

"What's the matter, Hiro?" Thomas asked.

"You have been very kind, Thomas…the best friend I could ever have…but I want to go home."

"I understand, Hiro…I can help you. Wait here." And before Hiro could puff "Master of the Railway," Thomas had chuffed away. He arrived at Knapford Station and much to his satisfaction, the Fat Controller was still there.

"Sir, I need your help. I know you will understand. Hiro wants to go home. He hasn't been home for a very long time, and he misses his friends and his island."

The Fat Controller smiled lightly. "I understand, Thomas. You did well to ask me. Of course I will help you. Tell Hiro not to worry," he said.

Thomas returned to Hiro and passed on the Fat Controller's words. Hiro felt much better. "Is there nothing you cannot do, Thomas?" he smiled. "You miss your home, Hiro. I understand how you feel…but I can't be more thankful to have met you."

When Thomas returned to Tidmouth Sheds, Emily was waiting. "How is Hiro?" she asked.

"He is very thankful to all of us, but he misses home, Emily. The Fat Controller has arranged for him to be shipped away. Soon, he'll be going home." Emily felt sad about this. Hiro inspired her and understood her very well and it wasn't easy to say goodbye to someone she only knew for a few days. She fell asleep with a sad gloom on her face. Thomas saw this and felt bad. He didn't want this beautiful engine to sleep sadly. He turned round to face her. When Emily felt Thomas' buffers touch her's, she opened her eyes and blushed very lightly.

"Emily, friends come and go…and Hiro is Master of the Railway again. We should be happy for him. Besides, he wouldn't want to stay away from us forever. He'd get lonely. He'd certainly come back."

Emily managed to smile and agree. "You're right, Thomas. This isn't goodbye." And she fell back asleep, this time with a smile as Thomas stayed put to comfort her…

* * *

A few days later, all the engines were at Brendam Docks. They were very excited. "Here he comes, Thomas!" Percy peeped.

"Right everyone, 1, 2, 3!" and all the engines whistled. Then there was one long and low whistle. It was Hiro. Hiro chuffed slowly up the track and stopped by Thomas and Percy.

"It's time for you to go home, Hiro," Thomas said unhappily.

"It is, Thomas. I will never ever forget what you did for me," said Hiro. "I will never forget you."

"Perhaps I can visit you," said Thomas. "Or perhaps you could come back and visit us one day," peeped Percy. "Maybe, Percy," murmured Hiro.

"Sodor will always be your home too, Hiro," smiled Thomas. "I know Thomas…thank you," said Hiro. And with one final whistle, he went along his way to be loaded onto the ship while the engine whistled in salute.

As Hiro passed Emily, he smiled at her. She smiled back but slowly lost it as he passed by. She felt sad that the Master of the Railway was now leaving. Hiro was loaded onto the ship, then as the horn blew and the ship started off, all the engines continued to whistle and shout for Hiro, wishing him well and that he could return whenever he wished to. Emily started to cry softly as the ship got further and further away from the island. Thomas heard Emily and switched to her line then backed up beside her.

"What's all this?" he asked gently.

"Hiro's left," Emily sobbed. "He's such a wise, gentle friend! Do you think we'll ever see him again?" Thomas smiled. "I trust we will, Emily. He wouldn't want to stay away forever. Someday, he will come back. We'll see him again before we know it."

Emily remembered what Thomas said to her a few nights ago and how it wasn't really goodbye. She stopped crying and perked a little smile, making Thomas feel better. "You're right, Thomas. I have faith that he'll return one day."

That night at Tidmouth Sheds, all the engines talked endlessly about Hiro. Although the Master of the Railway had a home across the sea, he was a true inspiration and wonderful addition to the Island of Sodor.

Gradually, all the engines fell asleep…except Thomas and Emily. They stayed up a little while longer, looking at the stars. Soon, the nighttime sounds began to fill the air. The gentle breeze of the wind, the chirping crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. As Thomas and Emily gazed up at the night sky, their eyes suddenly started following a unique cluster of stars. Using her imagination, Emily looked intently at the stars and could see the shape of Hiro's form.

"Thomas? Do you see what I see?" Emily asked. "What is it, dear?" Thomas asked. Emily blushed. "Look at the stars, darling…where I'm looking?" Thomas blushed too and looked where Emily was looking.

"It's like, he's watching us in the night…protecting us," whispered Emily.

"Just like we did," Thomas whispered back.

"You did so much to bring him back to business…you are quite a hero yourself, Thomas...just like Hiro," said Emily, giggling slightly.

Thomas chuckled too. "Thanks, Emily." The two engines kept watching the night for a while longer until Emily's eyes began to flicker. Then she began to yawn. Thomas smiled when he heard that.

"Someone sounds sleepy," he smirked.

"I am sleepy," Emily whispered. "When I feel very happy and peaceful at night, it helps me sleep well…but not as well as you."

"T-thank you, Emily," Thomas stammered. "Let's get some sleep." With that, Thomas fell asleep. Emily looked at him for a few more seconds and whispered, "Goodnight, Thomas…my little hero." And soon, she fell asleep too, dreaming with Thomas about Hiro returning and having more adventures with the Sodor engines. That night, somewhere very far away, Hiro looked at the sky and made a promise.

"I will come back, Thomas. And we will be together one day." And somehow, he knew in his heart, he would be back with his new friends on the Island of Sodor…his true home.

* * *

Holy Mother of God, and here I thought "The Truth Beneath the Emerald" would never be beaten, but this takes the prize for being the longest chapter in the story and the longest thing in any of my stories. Thankfully I know that the next chapter, "A Blooming Mess," won't be nearly as long as this. However the next chapter will have to wait, because the next thing we're working on is a different story, a story that I promised a few months ago and it's finally coming. See if you guess what it is and leave your answers in your reviews for this chapter. See you all with the new story.


	19. A Blooming Mess

It was a special day on the Island of Sodor. Knapford Station was going to be decorated. All the engines were very busy, and very excited. At Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas, Emily and Edward were waiting for the Fat Controller to come and give out the jobs.

"I wonder what we can do for Knapford," said Emily. "I hope you get to do something lovely, Emily," said Thomas. "I could see you pulling flowers well."

Emily blushed. "Well, Thomas, I do love flowers. Like any girl or woman, it touches my heart to see them." Then, the Fat Controller arrived.

"Knapford Station is being decorated," he announced. "There are lots of jobs to do. Thomas, you must go to the quarry and collect slate for the new roof." "Yes sir," said Thomas. Then the Fat Controller turned to the emerald engine.

"Emily, you must go to Maithwaite Station and collect the flowers for the new window boxes," he said. Emily grew very excited.

"Flowers? How lovely!" she chirped. "I know all about flowers. I know buttercups are yellow and-"

"Emily…" the Fat Controller cut in. "…and then, take them to Knapford Station," he concluded.

"Yes, sir," answered Emily. She turned round on the turntable, thinking about the flowers with great anticipation and joy.

Emily huffed happily to Maithwaite Station. She passed Toby. Toby was delivering wood for Knapford's new floors.

"Hello, Toby," smiled Emily.

"Hello, Emily," Toby replied. And Emily passed on, working hard to reach Maithwaite.

Then, Emily passed James. James was delivering pots of paint to paint Knapford's new walls. "Hello, James!" she whistled. "Good morning, Emily," replied James. As Emily huffed on, she felt absolutely shocked but also happy. "He was actually nice to me!" she whispered. "Maybe…he does have some decency after all."

But Emily's smile faded slightly as she saw Rosie up ahead. Emily tried to be friendly. "Hello, Rosie," she called.

"Emily. Where are you off to?" asked Rosie. "To Maithwaite, for flowers to add to Knapford's window boxes," said Emily.

"Flowers?" exclaimed Rosie. "They would make a wonderful gift! Thomas would have given some to me if he was to go to Maithwaite!"

Emily frowned but remembered that argument at the Funfair. "Now, Rosie," she said. "I know we agreed not to fight…but it won't be easy for you to get Thomas away from me!"

"We shouldn't fight," agreed Rosie. "But you can't stop me from having some attention from Thomas!" Suddenly, Rosie sped down another line. She had been switched to a branch line and was soon out of sight.

"Oh, Rosie, you rascal!" Emily said to herself. "You haven't got a chance against a beautiful…angel like me," Emily's smile returned as she said "angel." She loved that Thomas thought of her to be that beautiful. Then, much to her joy, she passed Thomas. He was on his way to the quarry to collect the slate.

"Hello, Thomas! My best friend!" whistled Emily.

Thomas blushed. "H-hello, Emily, you look lovely today," he stammered. Emily giggled as she went past. "He thinks I'm lovely," she whispered. "That's wonderful! Let's see you try and beat that, Rosie."

Emily puffed up to a junction. Mavis was on the bridge above. "Hello, Mavis!" called Emily. But Mavis didn't say hello to Emily. Emily was surprised. She tried calling again, a little louder.

"Mavis? Mavis! Hello?" Mavis still didn't say hello to Emily. Emily wanted to try once more, but her signal turned green and she had to go on.

Emily wondered what was wrong with Mavis. "I know what's wrong. Mavis must be feeling sad today," she said as she went on her way.

At Maithwaite Station, Emily buffered up to the flatbed of flowers. "There are a lot of different flowers here, Emily," said the Stationmaster. Emily knew the names of all the flowers, but she didn't say a word. She was thinking about Mavis. She wanted to make Mavis happy. Then, an idea flew into her funnel.

"I'm sure flowers would make Mavis happy. I have lots of them. I can leave some of them at the quarry for Mavis." So Emily didn't puff straight to Knapford Station with the flowers. She took the track to the quarry instead. Meanwhile, Mavis was rolling along a line by herself. She was remembering when she stayed quiet when Emily tried to greet her. "Emily must be puzzled," she said to herself. "I'll explain everything to her once my work is done. Well, I'd best go to the quarry." And Mavis went on her way there.

Meanwhile, Emily huffed happily into the quarry. She couldn't see Mavis anywhere.

"I know. I'll decorate the quarry with flowers. That will make Mavis very happy when she comes back." Emily looked for a place to put some flowers.

"This is the perfect place. Mavis will see the flowers here as soon as she arrives." Emily felt very pleased with herself. A workman uncoupled the first flatbed of flowers and Emily kept going.

"Now…Hmm…I must find somewhere else to put some more flowers," she said to herself. Emily looked around. She didn't see Edward puff into the quarry behind her…but she did hear the loud crash! "Fizzling Fireboxes!" she exclaimed. "What was that?" Edward had crashed straight into the flatbed of flowers and rolled towards the hopper! Emily reversed to the hopper in a slightly feisty manner.

"Edward, look out! Those flowers are going to make Mavis happy!" she said abruptly. "Pardon?" Edward was confused.

"I'm sure flowers by the hopper would make Mavis happy. The hopper's so gray and dusty." As a workmen uncoupled the second flatbed of flowers under the hopper, Emily felt even more pleased with herself.

"Now, I must find somewhere else to put some more flowers." Emily looked around. She didn't see Thomas reverse to the hopper behind her, but she did hear the loud crash.

"Bubbling Boilers! What was that?!" Emily exclaimed. Thomas and Edward were observing the mess.

"Cinders and Ashes!" said Thomas. "Bust my buffers!" Edward added. Both flower trucks were now crunched together and flowers were everywhere. Emily rushed up beside Thomas. "Watch out for the flowers! They're going to make Mavis happy!" she hollered.

At that moment, Mavis pulled into the quarry. "Whatever has happened?" She gasped. Emily looked at Mavis. Mavis wasn't happy. She was very upset.

"What has happened to my quarry, and what are those flowers doing here?!" Mavis exclaimed.

Emily gasped and turned slightly red. She nearly cried. "The flowers haven't made Mavis happy. The quarry is in a terrible mess! And it's all my fault!" Emily chuffed up to Mavis. She now had to explain herself.

"You didn't say hello today, so I thought you were sad. I brought the flowers because I wanted to make you happy," said Emily.

Mavis sighed. Now she could explain to Emily. "I wasn't sad. I didn't say hello, because I was thinking about all the jobs I had to do today."

Emily felt very silly. "I wish I had asked if you were sad. Then I wouldn't have brought the flowers and the quarry wouldn't be in a terrible mess."

"A Blooming Mess, so to speak," said Thomas. Normally, Emily would have laughed at a joke, but secretly, she knew Thomas was right. Not only with flowers, but the mess did bloom bigger and bigger as one then two trucks got bumped.

Mavis looked at the mess. She looked very sad. Emily wanted to think of a way to make Mavis happy. And now she knew she had to ask.

"Mavis, what would make you happy?"

"I would like the quarry to be tidy, and all the engines to be really useful," said Mavis, forming a light smile.

Emily felt very pleased she had asked Mavis. Now she knew exactly what to do to make Mavis happy. But Thomas had a problem.

"I can't move," he called. "I'm covered in slate dust and my firebox has gone out." Emily reversed to her favorite little engine.

"Don't worry, Thomas. I'll shunt you over to the coal hopper. You'll soon be burning brightly again."

"Thank you, Emily," smiled Thomas. So Emily worked hard. She puffed and she huffed, and she heaved Thomas to the coal hopper. Although Thomas only had one truck of slate, Emily found Thomas to be rather heavy. She turned red in the face and she had steamed hard to get him to the hopper.

While Thomas was being refilled with coal, Emily asked carefully, "No offense, Thomas, but why are you so heavy?"

Thomas was not offended, but he still reacted. "Heavy! Whatever do you mean?"

"I'm slightly out of breath after hauling you over here," Emily said apologetically.

Then Thomas looked around. "My wheels and brakes got dusty and covered with slate, they must have been stiff."

"Oh," said Emily. "On a happier note, that means you're very strong yourself." Thomas blushed as Emily continued. "When you pulled me to the bakery…with those flour trucks, goodness, how you can pull me…and I'm longer than you…I really like your strength!"

Thomas blushed deeper. "W-well…I-I'm just happy I could help you, Emily. Now, you'd best collect those flowers and help Edward."

"Right away, Tommy," said Emily. Thomas still frowned slightly at that. Although he was happy to hear that name again after he saved Emily, he still didn't approve of it very much.

Emily went on her way, then she biffed and she bashed the flowerbeds away from the hopper, so that Edward could shunt his truck to be filled. Soon, Thomas and Edward had gone on their way to Knapford, and Emily's flowerbeds were back in line. Mavis appeared much more confident and satisfied. Although Emily had unintentionally caused an accident with her and Percy, Mavis got along well with Emily after her suffering ended. Although Mavis was a diesel, Emily really liked her as a friend. Having a diesel as a friend gave her confidence that diesels and steamies didn't need to be opposing each other. Emily asked Mavis one more thing to hopefully make her truly happy.

"Now," she said to Mavis. "The quarry is tidy again and all the engines are being really useful. Is there anything else that would make you happy?"

Mavis replied, "Yes. I want you to deliver the flowers to Knapford Station, where they should be."

"Right away, Mavis," said Emily as she huffed on her way to the station.

At last, Emily arrived at Knapford Station. "Here are the flowers for the new flower boxes," she said.

"Thank you, Emily," said the Stationmaster. Emily watched as the flowers were unloaded. They looked very pretty. Emily also saw that Thomas and Edward were watching too. She thought now would be a good time to talk about the flowers.

"Did you know, Thomas, that those yellow flowers are called buttercups? And those red ones, Edward and called roses. And those white ones are daisies." Thomas and Edward were interested, but Thomas was mostly drawn into the roses. Something about them separated them from the other flowers…a sense of being delicate and gentle…and even loving. He asked the emerald engine, "Emily? Those roses look absolutely wonderful…are there any other colours besides red?"

Emily perked up at this question. "Oh yes, Thomas there are five colours altogether. Yellow, orange, white, pink and, of course red, like mine."

"I know girls and women love when boys and men give them flowers…do roses have any meanings?" Thomas asked.

Emily's boiler bubbled excitedly. "Y-yes, Thomas…would you like me to tell you?"

"Yes, please."

"Very well…yellow roses express joy, gladness, and friendship. They are given to celebrate new beginnings, like marriage. The orange roses express intense passion and desire for loved ones, as well as pride, enthusiasm and unlimited energy. The white roses express sincerity, purity, and chastity. They are the symbol of everlasting love - love stronger than death, an eternal love, undying and all sustaining."

Thomas' eyes were wide with interest and wonder but also some confusion as Emily continued.

"The pink roses express sheer beauty and grace. They are the flower of sweet thoughts and gentle emotions. It indicates an affection that may turn into deeper love. Innocent love that has not yet blossomed into passion, a deep affection that has not yet reached its pinnacle. Finally the red roses, undeniably the most beautiful among all the roses. The most obvious and well known meaning of the red rose is deep love and affection. The red rose denotes a true love that is stronger than thorns and can outlive all obstacles. Desire is another facet of the red rose. The red rose expresses the throbbing heat of new love, a passionate expression of attraction, of raging desires and craving passion. In shorter words, red roses simply express, 'I love you very deeply'."

Thomas didn't say anything. He was still in awe at what he just heard. "Thomas? Hello?" Emily asked.

"Oh! Huh?" Thomas exclaimed. "What do you think?" asked Emily.

"That's very lovely, Emily. I always knew you could pull flower trains well." With that, Thomas continued to watch the flowers being placed. What he heard was very interesting, but he soon became confused and didn't know what to think. He wondered if he could ever give Emily flowers as a gift. He just fell silent and smiled as he watched the beautiful engine smile at the flowers.

Mavis puffed up. She was smiling. "My," she gasped. Emily perked up again. "You're smiling Mavis…are you happy?" she asked sweetly.

"I am," chuckled Mavis. "Those flowers look wonderful!" And that made Emily happy too.

* * *

Well, that's that done, one of the only decent episodes from Season 13-16. Anyway next chapter is "Splish, Splash, Splosh!" which I'm slightly concerned about, why? Well there's a reason why this story is rated "T"...yeah, Emily tries seducing Thomas, how, some of you should know how, but don't say I didn't warn you. Anyway leave a review and I'll see you next chapter for Emily's seduction, oh boy.


	20. Splish, Splash, Splosh!

It had been raining and pouring on the Island of Sodor. The engines were splattered and sploshed with mud. Thomas liked the rain. It splish-splashed on his boiler and pitter-pattered on his paintwork.

Thomas and Emily were waiting at under the sheltered roof of, the newly redecorated, Knapford Station for their next job to be given.

"Well, Emily," said Thomas. "How are you in the rain?"

"Rain really isn't my weather," said Emily. "Everything looks so gray and lifeless in the rain."

"You don't," smiled Thomas. "Even in rain, you still look beautiful…like an angel."

"Thank you, Thomas. You always think about keeping me happy," Emily smiled. Just then, the yard manager ran over.

"Emily, the Dairy manager needs you to deliver a flour train to the bakery. Thomas, your help is needed at the shunting yards."

"Of course," said Thomas. "See you later, Emily." And Thomas went on his way to the yards. After Emily picked up the flour, she went on her way to the bakery. She didn't see Rosie watching her from the distance. Rosie then went to the shunting yards. She liked shunting as much as Thomas.

While Thomas was arranging the trucks, he heard a high whistle. "Thomas?" called a voice. Thomas could see a lavender shape behind the trucks. He shunted them away and saw Rosie.

"Oh. Hi, Rosie," said Thomas. "May I shunt with you, Thomas?" Rosie asked cheerfully.

"Why not, Rosie? I'd like some company here," said Thomas. Rosie nearly squealed with delight. "_It's working!_" she thought. "_Thomas wants my company! He'll love me soon enough!_"

For nearly an hour, Thomas and Rosie biffed and bashed all over the shunting yards, they were having great fun bumping the troublesome trucks and letting them roll into other trucks. Now it was time to go. The yard manager's whistle blew and Thomas whistled back. "Come on, Rosie! I'll race you to Tidmouth Sheds," said Thomas. The two friends puffed along the tracks, straight through a very big puddle. "Whee!" exclaimed Rosie.

Thomas and Rosie were splashed from footplate to fender in muddy rainwater. Both started to laugh from the amusement.

"That was fun," laughed Thomas. Then an idea flew into Thomas' funnel. Thomas reversed slowly then he pumped his pistons.

"Here I come, Rosie! Splish-Splash-Splosh!" chanted Thomas as he came forward again, spraying Rosie with rainwater. Rosie giggled. She really liked that Thomas was playing with her.

"That's a good game," She chided. Then, she decided to play back. "Here I come, Thomas! Splish-Splash-Splosh!" Muddy water splattered everywhere. Then the Fat Controller arrived. He had some important news.

"Alicia Botti is to sing at a concert in the Town Hall. The concert will be followed by a grand tea," He announced.

"That's exciting," said Thomas.

"What fun," added Rosie.

"Thomas," said the Fat Controller. "You must go straight to the washdown, then you are to collect Miss Botti and myself from Dryaw Station. We will be waiting for you."

"Yes, sir," said Thomas. Then the Fat Controller turned to the lavender engine.

"Rosie, you must collect Annie and Clarabel and take them to Dryaw for Thomas."

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir," said Rosie.

"See you later, Rosie," said Thomas. And Thomas and Rosie chuffed quickly away. Thomas pulled up at a junction to the washdown. He saw a very big puddle on the other track. Charlie was waiting right by it. He was very muddy.

"Splashing Rosie was such good fun," said Thomas. "I'm sure Charlie would like my game too. and I'm sure I have time for another puddle at the washdown." So Thomas didn't take the track to the washdown. He took the track through the middle of the very big puddle.

"Here I come, Charlie! Splish-Splash-Splosh!" called Thomas as he sprayed mud from his wheels. Charlie laughed and guffawed. "Bust my buffers! That's a good game!"

Thomas huffed happily on. "Hooray! This is fun!" Now Thomas wanted to find more puddles. He couldn't wait to play his game with the other engines.

Thomas stopped at another signal, next to another large puddle. Gordon was waiting by himself to collect another passenger train after his first run. Then Thomas got a mischievous ides.

"_Gordon isn't very muddy…I don't think he'll like my game…but it'll pay him out for hurting Emily so,_" he thought. The signal dropped and Thomas sped on towards the puddle and called in a cheeky manner,

"Here I come, Gordon! Splish-Splash-Splosh!" Muddy rainwater had splooshed all over Gordon and his smart blue paint. "Oh, the Indignity!"

At the next junction, Thomas waited to chuff left to the washdown. Then he saw a very bug puddle on the right track. Then, much to his delight, he saw that Emily was waiting. Emily smiled when she saw Thomas. As she looked ahead of herself, she could hear Thomas.

"Emily's muddy already. I'm sure she'd like my game…and I'm sure I have time for another puddle before the washdown."

Emily perked up at hearing "my game." She grew very excited. "_Hmm…what game might this be, Tommy?_" she thought. She heard the signal bell ring and Thomas thundered past.

"Here I come, Emily! Splish-Splash-Splosh!" Muddy rainwater had splooshed all over Emily…and all over Emily's flower trucks. She was most certainly not expecting that!

"Fizzling Fireboxes!" she fumed. "I have to take this flour to the bakery to make the cakes for Alicia Botti's tea! Now Thomas has ruined it!"

When Emily arrived at the bakery, she could see the Dairy Manager. When he saw the muddy flour bags, he looked at Emily.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said. "Thomas made up a silly game and splashed me with mud."

"It's not your fault, Emily," said the Dairy Manager. "Thomas ruined the flour, not you."

"And look at me!" Emily exclaimed. "I look like I just puffed out of a swamp! Now I'll look terrible at the concert, or even worse, I could be late!"

The Dairy manager told Emily to fetch a new train of flour and to be careful around puddles. Just before Emily left the bakery, she saw Rosie steaming cheerfully forward.

"Emily! Where's Thomas? I want to Splish-Splash-Splosh with him again!" chirped Rosie.

"I don't know, Rosie," Emily said annoyingly. "His silly game has made me filthy and he ruined my flour trucks!" Emily truly couldn't stay angry at Thomas, but this gave Rosie even more confidence. "_If Thomas made her filthy, and ruined her flour…_" she thought. "_That must mean he likes me!_" And Rosie sped off to find Thomas again…

Meanwhile, Thomas didn't know he had splashed Emily's flour trucks. "This is fun! Splish-Splash-Splosh, I'll soon need a wash!" and Thomas chuffed on, chuckling. At the next junction, Thomas waited to chuff to the washdown. Then he saw a very big puddle right beside James.

"James is muddy already. I'm sure he'd like my game…and I'm sure I have time for just one more puddle before the washdown." But just like Gordon, Thomas was also intending to pay James back for hurting Emily too. The signal went green and Thomas chanted again.

"Here I come, James! Splish-Splash-Splosh!" And Thomas steamed away laughing. Muddy rainwater had splooshed all over James…and all over the ripe strawberries on his flatbed!

"Blistering Boilers! These strawberries were for Alicia Botti's cakes! Now they're ruined." When James arrived with the ruined strawberries, the Dairy manager immediately saw what had happened and said, "Thomas splashed you, didn't he?"

"Yes, sir," said James. "How did you know?"

"Emily came here with ruined flour. Now I see your strawberries are ruined. Go collect a fresh train and be careful around puddles…I'll have to tell the Fat Controller about Thomas." While James left for a new strawberry train, the Dairy manager telephoned Knapford Station. The Fat Controller and Alicia Botti were there when the call came. When the Fat Controller heard about Thomas, he and Alicia Botti left immediately to find him.

Meanwhile, Thomas didn't know he had splashed James' strawberries. "This is fun! Splish-Splash-Splosh, I'll soon need a wash!" And Thomas puffed on happily.

Thomas chuffed up to the next junction. Now it was getting late. "I know there'll be a very big puddle along the track by the river. I'm sure I have time for one last puddle before the washdown," said Thomas. So he took the left track that went along the river. Ahead of him, there was a very big puddle.

"My! This is the biggest puddle ever." What Thomas didn't see was that the Fat Controller and Alicia Botti were on the bridge above.

"Here I come…Splish…Splash…SPLOSH!" Then there was trouble. Muddy water flew high into the air and splooshed down all over Alicia Botti and the Fat Controller.

"THOMAS!" Thomas screeched to a stop and reversed slowly. He saw that he had Splish-Splash-Sploshed Alicia Botti and the Fat Controller!

"Cinders and Ashes!" he gasped.

"Look what you've done to Miss Botti! She's soaked!" scolded the Fat Controller. "Also, Thomas, I hear from the Dairy manager, that you ruined the flour and strawberries for Miss Botti's grand tea! This is a disaster!"

Thomas felt terrible. He was sure that James and certainly Emily would be cross with him. The very thought of making his angel angry made him feel even worse. Now he wanted to apologize to the engine he saved and loved so much. He tried to puff forward but he couldn't.

"Oh no!" The big puddle had put out his firebox. "This game isn't fun anymore. It's all gone wrong," Thomas huffed sadly. Then, Thomas heard Rosie's whistle.

"Rosie, please help me. I've Splosh-Splash-Sploshed…into trouble," Thomas gloomed.

"Oh dear, Thomas," said Rosie. "Of course I will. Don't worry." Rosie left and came back sometime later on Thomas' line. Then Rosie heaved and huffed Thomas onto dry tracks. Rosie's fireman shoveled some of her coal into Thomas' firebox, restoring his ability to move.

"With my dry coal, Thomas, your boiler will soon be bubbling," smiled the lavender engine.

"Thank you, Rosie," Thomas smiled back. "Now I can't go to collect the Fat Controller and Alicia Botti. Will you take my special for me?"

"Of course I will. I'll go right away!" Rosie cheered as she went on her way.

Later, Thomas was once more steaming happily. He pulled up at a junction. There was a very big puddle on the left track. "Look at that big puddle! It's perfect for Splish-Splash-Sploshing…no! I'm NOT going to Splish-Splash-Splosh anymore! I must make sure that Alicia Botti's grand tea is on time." And Thomas puffed along the left track to the bakery and away from the big puddle.

Thomas arrived just as James and Emily had delivered fresh strawberries and flour to the bakery.

"Your silly game means we'll be late for the concert!" Emily said crossly. Thomas understood Emily's annoyance and made her and James a promise.

"No you won't. I'll wait here for the cakes, then I'll deliver them. You can go to the wash-down and you'll both be clean for the concert."

Emily's annoyance flew right out her funnel. "Thank you, Thomas!" she cheered happily. "Now I'll be shiny and best, and gleam more than the rest," James declared.

Thomas puffed in with the fresh strawberry cakes for the grand tea. He flashed a glimpse at Emily. She was perfectly clean again and Thomas felt his boiler bubble with sheer excitement.

"You're just in time, Thomas," said the Fat Controller proudly.

"Thank you sir…I'm sorry I caused confusion and delay." Rosie puffed up to Thomas. "I found another puddle. It's perfect for our game. We can play again!" she chirped.

"No thank you, Rosie," said Thomas. "I think I've done enough Splish-Splash-Sploshing…for one day."

The concert was a big success and the tea and cake was received well. Although Thomas told Rosie he was through with their game for the day, he couldn't help but want to play it again with Emily. She may have called it silly, but she didn't actually try it yet. Thomas went up to her.

"Emily?" he called.

"Yes, Thomas?"

"I know you think it's silly, and I know I splashed you at the absolutely wrong time, but why don't you give 'Splish-Splash-Splosh' another chance? …I'll take you to the washdown right afterwards."

Emily was grateful that Thomas admitted his foolishness when he ruined the flour and strawberries. And Thomas helped her be clean for Alicia Botti's concert, so she made her decision.

"Alright, Thomas. I'll give it a try," she said. Thomas whistled with joy and the two engines went along, looking for puddles to splash in. Soon, they came to a huge one. Surely it was the one which Rosie said was perfect for the game. Thomas and Emily glided into the puddle and were lightly splashed with mud. "Now what?" asked Emily.

"Wait and see," said Thomas. He backed up a few yards while Emily waited. Suddenly, she heard what she heard earlier.

"Here I come, Emily! Splish-Splash-Splosh!" Thomas wheeshed as he sprayed mud along Emily's boiler. Emily couldn't help but laugh and giggle this time. It was indeed a messy game, but still fun. "You're right, it is fun…when you're not pulling any trains!" she said jokingly.

Then she backed up behind the blue engine and spoke in a coy manner, "Here I come, Thomas! Splish-Splash-Splosh!" And she steamed towards Thomas again, splashing him back. They exchanged splashes upon each other for some time before they made their way to a water tower to be cleaned off again. On their way there, Emily continued to joke. "You've made me dirty again," she teased.

"I know, Emily," replied Thomas. "That's why I'm the one taking you to be cleaned." Emily blushed and chuckled lightly as they made their way to the wash-down.

Once there, Thomas and Emily were having the mud scrubbed off once again. By now, Thomas truly agreed to put the game out of his mind for the day. While being washed off, Thomas found himself looking at Emily. Once again, his eyes traveled around her form, down to her big, yet beautiful wheels again. He couldn't help it, her wheels were so unique and being large made them special, just like the rest of the beautiful engine who owned them.

When Emily saw Thomas looking at her wheels again, she blushed once more. This had happened once before just after her suffering ended and they almost kissed, had it not been for Bill and Ben. But this time, with no one else around, Emily got an idea. She knew Rosie had feelings for Thomas, and she knew that Rosie had introduced him to that game…but being lively and full of energy, Rosie wasn't the engine to be seductive. She was too innocent to do such a thing. But Emily thought this would be an easy way to lure Thomas away from Rosie and back to her so he'd forget Rosie completely. When the workmen started scrubbing Emily's wheels, Thomas suddenly heard the most peculiar sounds ever.

"Ohh…Ooh…Mmm…Thomas…Ooh, you like my lovely, big wheels, don't you?"

The sounds were coming from Emily. She was teasing him wildly over her wheels and Thomas couldn't believe it. Although he had a respectful, composed manner for ladies, all he could think about Emily was, "_She's so sexy,_" as she moaned and exclaimed seductively. She batted her eyes quickly at him, then she closed them halfway, raised her eyebrow and she made a purring sound just to deliberately tease him much, much more.

"Ahh…nice and mesmerized…I love it…just like that…You're a little nervous, and you're blushing…I really like that…" Emily swooned in a rather sexy tone. The men who were cleaning Emily found the current situation very, very awkward and disturbing...then again asking an engine why they were trying to seduce another engine was something none of them had ever wanted to know, so they remained awkwardly silent. Thomas fought hard to push any of the wrong ideas out of his mind, but it did no good.

"_Cinders and Ashes! She's so sexy! The sexiest engine ever!_" he kept thinking to himself. He thought he would never push these thoughts out of his mind. She was indeed a very beautiful engine. Her emerald paint and her big wheels were the main factors, but there were so many other things that added to her beauty. Her tall, sleek funnel with a golden ring around it, her hair-shaped smokebox, her angelic voice, her sparkling eyes but most of all, her ever-gorgeous smile. His wheels began to wobble as he heard her again and when he saw the white bubbles forming on her wheels, he thought his boiler would burst.

"Oh, Thom-as…" Emily swooned. "Come here and pla-ay…"

Now Thomas was feeling very vulnerable. The prospect of a girlfriend taking control or even worse…maybe cornering him was a little unusual. As he panicked and worried about how he could possibly push the wrong ideas out of his mind, he suddenly realized…Perhaps he had been a little too mesmerized by her features, and not appreciating her spirit and good will as much as he should have. As much as he cared for her, he was paying too much attention to her beautiful features alone. It wasn't a bad thing to do, but being grateful for her personal being was much more important. He finally pulled himself together and spoke up.

"Excuse me…Emily?" he asked, trying to speak above the noise she was making.

"What is it, stud?" she asked, still in a coy manner.

Thomas put on a serious, but dignified expression. "Listen, Emily…you are a beautiful engine, just like I always told you…you're like an angel to me…" Emily's coy expression slowly softened to a more composed one as Thomas kept talking.

"I have always admired you for your friendliness…but I have been a little naughty," Thomas continued, his expression and tone becoming feeble.

"I have been too mesmerized by your wheels. I just think they're beautiful because of their size. I don't want to have the wrong ideas…and I'd like to say…I'm sorry. Sorry for staring at your features and not appreciating your kindness and care as much as I should have." By now, his face was deep red and he squeezed his eyes shut, very tight, absolutely embarrassed over eyeing her and thinking what he thought earlier.

All seduction attempts flew out of Emily's funnel - which frankly the cleaners were immensely thankful for - and she felt a little sad seeing Thomas like this. She buffered up to him until her nose touched his. When Thomas looked at her, her face wasn't seductive or disappointed. It was caring and understanding.

"Thomas…thank you. You didn't really need to…but I accept your apology. You're very respectful to women, I see. And, I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to make you feel awkward and uncomfortable…I'm just so happy and thankful over everything you've done for me, I can't imagine life without you as my friend…I…I…" she couldn't tell him about her rivalry with Rosie. She was frightened he'd go right with Rosie after that.

"It's alright, Emily. You know what…I may have held this statement with Percy…but between you and me…YOU are truly my best friend. Just like I told you after I saved you…you're the greatest friend I've ever had."

Emily blushed lightly. "You're very sweet, Thomas. A little rebellious at times, but sweet."

Just then, she felt a jet of water hose against her wheels. The workmen were now hosing her down.

"Splish-Splash-Splosh," Thomas smiled. Emily giggled too. "Splish-Splash-Splosh," she replied.

Soon, Thomas and Emily were dried off and they made their way back to Tidmouth Sheds. To Emily's relief, Rosie was nowhere to be seen. She backed in first, followed by Thomas as he backed in right beside her.

"Well, Thomas," Emily said. "I must say…thank you for introducing me to that game. It is fun when you're in the right mood."

"Of course, angel," said Thomas. Emily chuckled softly. "Well, Goodnight, Thomas."

"Goodnight, Emily," whispered Thomas. As they fell asleep, they both whispered one more time, "Splish-Splash-Splosh."

* * *

OK, so that's "Splish, Splash, Splosh!" out of the way...look I'm sorry if you were disturbed by it but don't come complaining to me about the washdown scene, I warned you all about it last chapter, you all knew, or should have known, it was coming anyway, so yeah, anyway, next chapter is..."Misty Island Rescue"...oh, Jesus Christ...but at the very least, we won't be focusing on most of it, mainly just focusing on Thomas and Emily being separated, with another "Star Wars The Clone Wars" reference, and a special character will be making a re-appearance, also Rosie will start to question her feelings for Thomas, while Edward makes a sudden revelation. So yeah, at least the terrible special is going to be a crucial part in this story as a whole, and be ten times better than the original, so leave your reviews and are you hyped for next chapter, I'm not because I have to rewatch the special. Have a good day/night.


	21. Separated by the Sea

The Island of Sodor is a world of wonder. There are places and faces that are old and new. There are bridges and tunnels that engines huff through. There hilltops and clifftops to climb and explore. There are rivers and railways and much, much more all on the Island of Sodor. There was great excitement on the island. A brand-new Search and Rescue Centre was being built. The engines had never heard of anything quite so special. They knew it was important.

One evening, Thomas had just returned to Tidmouth Sheds after an exciting and even scary event. A building-material known as Jobi-wood was needed to build the new centre. Thomas had teased Diesel that only a steamie was useful enough to do the job. Diesel tried to take the wood to the Rescue Centre before Thomas. While Thomas chased him, Diesel came to a bridge only to find it was unfinished. Diesel ended up losing all three flatbeds of Jobi-wood and nearly fell into the sea himself, but Thomas ended up saving Diesel. Although Diesel had caused a great deal of trouble since his first arrival, Thomas knew that even Diesel was an engine.

The other engines listened in wonder to Thomas' story.

"The logs are lost," said Thomas. "I feel bad."

"But Thomas, you're the hero of the Rescue Centre," said Percy.

Thomas smiled. "Thank you, Percy. I want to do everything I can to help the Rescue Centre be the best ever. I did what I thought was right."

Then, the Fat Controller arrived. "And you were right, Thomas," he said. "You made the right decision to pull Diesel back. You didn't wait to be asked or to be told. You did the best thing, the right thing, and that makes you the most really useful engine."

The other engines hooted and whistled. Thomas was the most really useful engine.

But the Fat Controller remembered Diesel's scheme. "Diesel lost the Jobi-wood. That is very bad! And I am very cross. The Search and Rescue Centre will be delayed. New Jobi-wood must be found, and that will take time…but you, Thomas have a special reward. You will visit the Search and Rescue Centre on the mainland."

"Thank you sir!" Thomas' pistons pumped with pride.

After the Fat Controller left, all the engines were proud of Thomas…but Emily was worried. She waited until the other engines were asleep.

"Thomas?" she whispered.

"Yes, Emily?"

"This is a great reward…but you're leaving Sodor." Thomas looked at Emily. She looked clearly worried. "How long will this be?"

"I don't know, Emily," said Thomas. "How…how will I cope without you?" asked Emily.

"Like I told you before, Emily. I'll think about you every second, and your spirit and memories I have of you will always call me back," smiled Thomas. Emily smiled too but as she slept, she still wondered deeply about her best friend and secret love being away for a while…

The next day, all Thomas' friends came to the docks to say goodbye. Spencer was also going to the mainland on the ship. He had to work for the Duke and Duchess. Although Emily managed to get to the docks, she was far behind the other engines and struggled to get a glimpse of Thomas. Salty rolled over. "Please, Salty, tell us some of your old stories of the sea, while I wait to be loaded," said Thomas.

"I can tell you tales of…Misty Island," said Salty.

"Yes please, Salty!" said Thomas excitedly.

"Tell us the tales," peeped Percy.

"Arr…Misty Island is a small island," Salty told. "It's not far away, but it is always covered in mist. No one can remember seeing Misty Island."

"I think I do," said Edward. "But it was a long, long time ago…Perhaps the mist lifted."

"Arr, perhaps, Edward. Misty Island is a mystery. Some say there are strange engines that live there. They say that they huff and puff in very strange ways…but no on has ever seen them. Not what he heard of."

The engine's eyes were wide with wonder.

"Aye…There's a lot of mysteries on Misty Island, that's for sure," said Salty. "There's the smoke signals."

"Smoke signals?" puzzled Percy.

"Arr. An engine was lost on Misty Island," continued Salty. "He huffed and he chuffed. He hoped for help. He puffed three times, but no one could see. So he puffed again. One…two…three! And as the mist lifted, he was saved!"

The engines were hushed. Their axles were tingling.

"If I was lost Percy, I'd puff three times too," said Thomas. "One for luck, one for me and…one for you."

"And I'd come to save you," said Percy. But secretly, Thomas thought of a fourth puff…for Emily. He had complete faith that she'd do anything to save him.

The Fat Controller arrived with Diesel. "Diesel has come to say goodbye and good luck, Thomas," he said.

"Goodbye, Thomas," said Diesel quickly. "And?" said the Fat Controller. "Good luck, Thomas," finished Diesel.

Thomas was astounded. For once, Diesel wasn't devious. "_Perhaps there is a good engine within him,_" Thomas thought. "Back to work, Diesel. No delay," said the Fat Controller.

After Diesel left, the Dock manager came up to Thomas with disappointing news. "There is no room for you, Thomas. You must wait for the next boat."

But Thomas didn't want to wait. "I want to be at the Mainland Rescue Centre as quickly as possible," he said. Then Thomas saw a large wooden raft. It was chained to the back of the steam boat.

"Look! That's perfect! I can ride to the mainland on that!" exclaimed Thomas. The Dock manager was worried. "The chains are rusty," he said.

When Emily overheard Thomas' plan, she grew even more worried. "Thomas, please listen to the manager," she prayed.

"Don't worry," Thomas said, almost bragging. "I make good decisions. I will travel on the raft."

So, Cranky lifted Thomas onto the raft. "Goodbye, my friends!" whistled Thomas.

"Goodbye, Thomas," said Cranky. The engines whistled and wheeshed. Percy watched. He was worried. "Are you sure you're safe on the raft?" he asked.

"Safe as engines, Percy. The Fat Controller says I make good decisions. I'll be back soon. Remember. Three puffs of steam and you'll find me!"

Percy smiled bravely. "Goodbye, Thomas."

"Goodbye, Percy." Then, the steamboat hooted long and low, and sailed to sea, pulling Thomas behind it. All Emily could do was watch…and worry. Anything could happen with a raft out on the open sea…especially at night.

* * *

By nightfall, Thomas was far out to sea. Darkness fell and so did the mist. Thomas couldn't see anything…but he could hear something. It was a creak and a crunch and then a crack and a splash! Thomas was scared. "Fizzling fireboxes! The chain to the steamboat has snapped! HELP!" Thomas whistled and wheeshed. But no one could hear him. The steamboat steamed away. Thomas was left on his raft. The waves tossed and turned, and turned and tossed until Thomas fell fast asleep.

But the sea-air carried the echo of Thomas' whistle back to Sodor. At Tidmouth Sheds, Emily had been dreaming that Thomas got lost off at sea. When his whistle's echo reached Tidmouth Sheds, she awoke with a start. She looked all around but saw one empty berth where Thomas would have been if he didn't have to go to the mainland. From that moment on, Emily only managed to sleep every few minutes before worrying again.

Thomas rocked and rolled on the sea until morning. Then Thomas' eyes popped open. He jumped and bumped forward onto land. "Fenders and fireboxes! Where am I?" Thomas steamed slowly forward. He peered around. It was very, very misty and very, very quiet. Thomas could only see trees and hills. He blew his whistle, but there was no answer.

"Oh my," he said aloud. "This IS a strange place. There are no engines…it can't be Sodor, and it can't be the mainland." Thomas' wheels wobbled with worry. "There must be a dock and some ships," he said. "If I find them, I can sail back to Sodor." So Thomas clickity-clacked carefully into the mist. Then, strange things started to happen. First, Thomas heard wheels rattling and racing on rusty rails. He stopped, startled.

"Who's there?" he called. But Thomas could see no engine, and no engine answered.

"I will not be scared, I will find a way to puff home to my friends by the end of the day." Next Thomas was scraped by a shower of small stones. Thomas stopped, scared.

"Who's there?" he repeated, but once again, Thomas could see no engine, and no engine answered. Then Thomas chuffed through a valley. Wild whistles echoed and bounced off his boiler! Thomas' firebox fizzed with fear! "Who's there?!" he called again. He was still determined to get out of this railway before the day was out. Thomas raced away with a clickity-clack along the track and around the bend, then he screeched to a stop! Thomas was fender-to-fender with three of the strangest engines he had ever seen.

"Cinders and ashes!" said Thomas. "Who are you?" But the three stooges didn't answer, and they didn't look friendly. Thomas' boiler bubbled bravely.

"I'm Thomas. Who are you?" The three engines chuffed cheekily.

"I'm Bash,"

"I'm Dash,"

"And I'm Ferdinand." The two smaller engines wheezed and teased. "We live here!"

"Where's here?" asked Thomas. "Misty Island," said Bash. "Misty Island! This is Misty Island?!" The little engines puffed proudly. "Have you heard of it?"

Thomas trembled on the tracks. "Yes I have," he said.

Bash and Dash kept speaking back and forth, "We're the Logging Locos. We saw you arrive! But you didn't see us! We played rattling wheels and whistling whistles with you! But you didn't play with us! We can now, if you want."

"That's right," said Ferdinand. Thomas didn't want to play with the three stooges. He hadn't liked their games, they were too strange, they were too scary.

"No thank you," said Thomas. "I come from the Island of Sodor. Now I'm going back there. Goodbye." And Thomas wheeshed and whooshed backwards down the track and away from the logging locos. Thomas huffed happily along. He was pleased with his decision. "I make good decisions, that's what I was told, I will not be fearful, I'll be brave and bold!"

Later, the mist rolled in and the darkness fell. Thomas huffed and chuffed all day. Now he couldn't see to puff forward further. He hadn't found the docks or a way off Misty Island. "I make good decisions, that's what I was told, I will not be fearful, I'll be brave and bold!" But now, Thomas wasn't feeling so brave or so bold. He began to wish he never boarded that raft. Suddenly he got a terrible feeling. If Emily learned of his disappearance, she'd be so frightened and sad, without her savior, she could be thrown back to her terrible ways and live in pain and tragedy all over again. Thomas began to silently cry. As darkness clouded over the island, he kept looking out at the misty water.

"Emily…" he whispered through his tears. "I'm so sorry…"

* * *

Back on the Island of Sodor, the Fat Controller was in a trailer and was about to go home. Then the telephone rang. When he answered and listened, he was grief-struck. "Yes…I understand…goodbye." The Fat Controller was stern. "Thomas did not arrive on the mainland. Thomas is missing."

The Fat Controller drove to Tidmouth Sheds. The engines woke up when they head him approach the sheds. When Emily saw the Fat Controller's serious and concerned expression, her boiler churned fearfully.

"Engines of the Steam Team…I regret to inform you that Thomas has gone missing once again," said the Fat Controller. "He hasn't reached the mainland."

When Emily heard this, not only was she frightened, but her own reasoning abilities were going all over the place. She rushed out of the sheds and to Brendam Docks. She stopped at the ship port and as she stared out to the ink-blue water, she thought long and hard. Thomas could have just beached on the nearest shore of land…but with whales, giant squids, sharks and storms refuging on the ocean, Emily jumped to the conclusion that he was either lost on wide open sea, doomed to never reach land or even worse, if he sunk!

"_Heavens! Anything could happen to someone on the open ocean!_" she thought to herself.

Then Emily heard an all-too familiar whistle. Rosie came up beside her.

"Emily, what are you doing out here?" she asked. "I heard chuffing in the night."

"Rosie…" Emily nearly choked. "Thomas is lost!"

"Lost?!" exclaimed Rosie.

"He went on a raft with a ship to the mainland and now he's been reported missing!" said Emily. "He could be gone for good!"

"And he never got a chance to see how much I love him!" Rosie mourned. "He was sure to love me!" This irritated Emily very deeply. She snapped.

"Rosie! For years, ever since I first came here, Thomas has been my closest friend! He saved me from my terrible ways and helped me to become happy and kind again. I love him more than anything in the whole world from the bottom of my heart and pure soul! I need him to stay happy and kind! Without him, I might be thrown back to suffering! I don't want to reopen the terrible things I never wanted to do!"

"But what about me?!" protested Rosie.

"Rosie…I must say…you don't seem to know what real love is! Your kind of love will NEVER compare to my love for Thomas! He gave me his branch line to look after he defended me from 'Arry and Bert's bullying, he never stayed angry at me for the wrongs I committed and he's done so much more! The most you do is try to impersonate his every move and although I told you he hates when you do that, you didn't see how he felt! I'll be forever damned if I lose him! I'd give anything to see him come back!"

With that, Emily stormed away to be by herself. Rosie was stunned silent by all she heard. She understood Emily's words because of how worried she was…but she also began to wonder...

"_Is Emily the right kind of love? Am I not loving Thomas like I should be? What does she have that I don't?_" she thought to herself as she puffed slowly away to find a shed.

Meanwhile, Emily was by herself, still staring out at the sea. Tears flowed out of her eyes and down her face as she worried for her best friend and one and only love's fate.

"Tommy…" she whimpered. "Please be alright…I love you…I need you…" All night, Emily stayed awake in fear and sadness, hoping to be reunited with her favorite engine of her life.

On Misty Island, Thomas echoed this sadness. "Emily…I need you…I miss you desperately…I'll come back to you, even if I have to risk getting drowned or crushed…" With that, Thomas fell into a deep-thinking sleep.

As Emily continued to mourn for Thomas, Edward came up in front of her. Being kind as he was, he couldn't leave Emily by herself in such a sad state.

"I'm worried for Thomas too, Emily," soothed Edward. "But I'm sure he'll be found. The Fat Controller will go out of his way to make sure he comes back." Emily looked at Edward.

"Edward, Thomas is more than a friend to me. As I said before, he's the engine who saved me from my worst days ever. Only he could see my pain and wanted to help me instead of blame me! I…I…" Emily stopped because of her tears overpowering her ability to speak.

Edward could see how sad and frightened Emily was. Given from his conversation with Thomas while Stanley was helping with Great Waterton, he had a feeling that Emily had desperate needs for Thomas too.

"Emily…" he said. "I must tell you…I know you are secretly in love with Thomas…I had a feeling you did ever since you went back to normal on that special morning. And you took care of his branch line twice. Once after he defended you and while we were helping Hiro. I truly hope your love isn't torn apart. We will do everything possible to get him back."

When Emily heard this, she did gain some courage but without Thomas, her floodgates opened and she continued to cry her heart out. Edward couldn't bear to see or hear Emily cry, just like Thomas. He gently buffered up to her and smiled gently. When Emily felt Edward's buffers touching hers, she felt great kindness. It helped her to express her sadness as she continued to sniffle and cry into Edward's kind gentle hold.

* * *

The next morning, work had stopped at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre. The Fat Controller was onboard Captain. Harold hovered overhead.

"I've been all over, sir," he called. "There's no sign of Thomas." Percy gasped and wheeshed with worry.

"Look again, Harold!" ordered the Fat Controller. Harold flew off again as the Fat Controller turned his attention to the boat.

"Captain, we have a job to do! We MUST find Thomas!" Captain was ready and rearing to go. "Right away, sir! Full Steam Ahead!" called Captain as he pulled away from the harbour. They traveled a far distance in little time to find Thomas, but after nearly an hour of patrolling open water, they found nothing. Later, the Fat Controller stood in front of his engines. He was serious. "Thomas is not at sea," he said.

"Oh no," peeped Percy.

"Now, we must search all over Sodor. I will need all engines to help." All the engines were sent to search every railway, every station and every mile of Sodor for Thomas. But no engine searched harder than Emily. She didn't even want to be on Sodor. She knew too well that Thomas would not be on Sodor at all.

"Thomas...help!" she kept saying through her tears. "Please be alright!"

At the dump, Whiff was surprised to see the Fat Controller and Gordon. They didn't visit often.

"Thomas is missing," The Fat Controller told Whiff. "I need you to work with Gordon. Gordon can heave and haul. You will hurry and scurry." Whiff wheeshed, Gordon gasped. "Oh, the Indignity!"

After Gordon was left to work at the dump, Percy was with the Fat Controller. While he checked the Sodor map, Percy spoke up. "Please sir, what has happened to Thomas?"

The Fat Controller sighed. "I don't know, Percy," he said.

Later that night at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, Whiff was worried. "You can't build your office here, sir," he said. "It's the entrance to the old Misty Island tunnel. It's all blocked up. So we used to take rubbish down there."

"I don't have time to worry about an old tunnel, Whiff," said the Fat Controller. "Goodnight." As the Fat Controller left, Whiff was puzzled.

* * *

While the searching on Sodor was in operation, Thomas tried his best to work with the Logging Locos, or 'the three stooges' as he called them in his mind. But all they did was laugh. The previous day, when Thomas asked them for a way back to Sodor, they refused to help, claiming they were too busy. Then Thomas tried to show how he shunted back on Sodor and told them about the Fat Controller. But they laughed again, saying that sounded funny. When Thomas wanted them to work harder, they refused as they didn't have enough wood and oil for fuel. The Locos also had what they called the "shake-shake," bridge. Crossing it was very unstable. They jeered that Thomas didn't have the Jobi wood, so Thomas crossed the bridge to prove them wrong.

The next day, on Misty Island, the Logging Locos were showing off Ol' Wheezy, the log loader. But Thomas didn't like how it operated. He backed away as it spun around. Ferdinand thought Thomas was no fun at all.

* * *

The morning sun shone over the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre. Harold hovered. "Sir, I can't see Thomas," he called. Percy wheeshed weakly. He was worried.

During this time, Thomas encountered a log-loader machine nicknamed "Hee-Haw," that used a lot of oil. Thomas insisted to use it against the three stooges' objections. When Hee-Haw sprang into action, Thomas considered all worries to be past.

The Fat Controller's worries were far from past. "THOMAS? THOMAS!" He called. But Thomas wasn't there. Captain tried to be cheerful.

"Don't worry, sir. I'm sure Thomas is fine. Full Steam Ahead!" he exclaimed. The Fat Controller wasn't sure. He waded back to Captain, more worried than ever.

* * *

On Misty Island, Thomas had tried countless times to fit in with 'the three stooges', but all they did was laugh and be cheeky about Sodor and helping him get home. All the annoyance made Thomas keep thinking more and more about Emily. Would he see her again? Would he get off Misty Island? All he ever wanted was to be with her and away from the trio of deranged lunatics.

Ferdinand came by and saw Thomas by himself, obviously in deep, troubling thoughts. He could see Thomas' glum look. "What's on your mind, Thomas?" he asked.

"Emily…" Thomas whispered. "Emily?!" said a cheeky voice. It was Bash and Dash right beside Ferdinand. "Who's Emily?"

"A very special friend," said Thomas. "She lives on Sodor and I can't be away from her much longer…"

"Who cares about girls?" teased Dash. Thomas grew cross. "She's not a girl. She's an engine…and a very beautiful one!"

"Pah!" said Bash. "Girls are loud-mouths who just want attention. Emily must be a silly damsel!"

"Hey!" shouted Thomas. "Don't EVER insult my favorite engine in such a manner! I had two diesels do the same and I don't need that again!"

But the Logging Locos continued to joke and tease. "Emily the damsel! Emily the damsel! Attention-seeking, lame and silly fame!" teased Bash and Dash together.

"That's right!" laughed Ferdinand. Thomas had taken enough. He saw three flatbeds of Jobi-wood right beside him on the other line.

"BE QUIET!" he shouted. "And STOP teasing Emily!"

"How can we? She isn't here! And she never will be! Silly thing!" teased Bash and Dash together.

Thomas turned redder than James. Although he promised to the Fat Controller that he would never commit such a drastic action again, he wanted to take advantage of the fact that he was alone and could punish the brats in front of him for not seeing his feelings. As the laughing continued, Thomas backed up to the line of flatbeds and coupled up, then he whistled loudly. The Logging Locos looked and for the first time, they didn't laugh. They were scared. Thomas was charging down the line towards them!

"Oh no!" They all cried.

"Say your prayers, Bash!" Thomas shrieked. "And you, Dash, and you, Ferdinand! I HATE YOU ALL!" But just before he could smash the Jobi-train into Ferdinand and send him flying way back, Thomas heard something very faint in his head.

_"Thomas! Thomas!"_ It sounded like Emily's voice. Thomas screeched to a stop with the flatbed's buffers just a few inches away from Ferdinand!

"No! Don't hurt us!" cried Ferdinand.

"Why should I leave you undamaged?!" snarled Thomas. "All you brats EVER did was joke, tease and jeer at me about EVERYTHING about my home island! I need to get back to Sodor and off this…HELL of an island ONCE AND FOR ALL! GET OUT OF MY WAY OR BE SMASHED TO KINGDOM-COME!"

_"Thomas! Please, Stop!"_ repeated the voice he heard just before he stopped. This time it sounded louder and clearer.

"Emily?" Thomas whispered. "Was that you?" But his wonders turned to shock and regret when he looked at the Logging Locos. They were completely still, with their mouths wide-open and their eyes almost as big as their wheels. They didn't dare speak a word. Immediately, Thomas realized two things. Firstly, Emily's voice made him stop because of his deep love for her, and he began to see that her presence and voice was the best and only thing that helped him keep his self-control. Secondly, he felt very scared because he almost repeated his ambush on 'Arry and Bert and now he was sure the Logging Locos would be too scared to help.

"Ferdinand…" Thomas murmured worriedly. "I…I'm so sorry…I was just…" But Ferdinand, Bash and Dash all scurried away, backwards as fast as they could go, leaving Thomas by himself. He felt terrible. He had put up with bratty, childish behaviour for three whole days and he absolutely hated hearing insults about Emily a second time, but he also felt worse than hopeless. He was sure that those three engines would be too frightened to approach him to help now.

"Oh…Emily…" Thomas whimpered as he began to cry. "I'm so sorry…Please forgive me…" Then he squeezed his eyes tightly shut and cried very hard.

From a good distance, the Logging Locos could see Thomas crying and for once, they felt sad themselves. "Thomas looks very sad," Ferdinand said. He looked at the twin locos.

"We need to say we're sorry," he told them. The twins agreed, but they also decided to let Thomas be for the night.

* * *

As night fell, Thomas drifted to sleep, thinking hard about how to approach the three engines and make up with them. As he slept, the mist rolled in once again from the sea. It was thicker than before, making the surroundings feel more ominous. The temperature was cool, and Thomas remained asleep...until...

**_"Big brother…may I talk with you? Please? Wake up..."_** _said a familiar, sisterly voice, softly through the air…_

_Thomas woke up with a start. "Who's there? Who's there I said," he asked as he looked around in the mist. Then, a ghostly figure of a tank engine came into view in front of him._

**_"Hello, Thomas…it's me, your sister, Emma."_**

_Thomas backed up a few yards. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He must have been dreaming, there was no other way he could be seeing his deceased sister in front of his very eyes. "How can this be? You can't be here, you were...scrapped…I read your final words on that letter from the Smelters Yard on the mainland."_

_**"Spirits live on, my brother, nothing ever truly dies,"** smiled Emma. **"I have been watching over you ever since my life came to an end. I have witnessed all the pain and sadness you felt after you heard of my passing. But as of now, I have to talk with you about something."**_

_"Go ahead, Emma. I'm listening," said Thomas._

**_"To me, your feelings for Emily, your faithfulness, determination and will to help her does have a price. Emily may have not had anything to do with you being sent to the mainland, but you made a foolish choice of going on that raft and getting lost."_**

_Thomas felt very silly. "I was overly eager to get to the mainland. I didn't want to wait…and in doing so, I'm sure to have worried Emily for no reason whatsoever, she may be going back to her bad ways because of me! I did this!" He said in anguish._

**_"You must be careful, my brother,"_** _advised Emma._ **_"Your relationship with her is haunted by an inner demon of yours. Your negative emotions when it comes to others harming or upsetting her, or even when you thought Stanley was trying to win her heart, but most of all, when she is being mocked and made fun of. If you let this darker side of you run wild, like you almost did earlier tonight, it will affect your love with Emily."_**

_"I know," said Thomas, his voice breaking with shame and sadness. "I need her to live! She is unlike any engine I ever met! I was the only one who understood all the pain and suffering she went through, I could have saved her and put an end to her misery if I had just realized it sooner! That's why I nearly let myself go, because I keep thinking it's my fault for making her lose her way. Her voice was the only thing that stopped me from attacking the Logging Locos! She's the only thing that can help me control myself! I want to go home!"_

_Then Emma suddenly changed her sympathetic approach and started to get a little skittish.** "Thomas, you have become reckless and silly! You mustn't…"** Emma's voice grew fainter and less understandable, when suddenly…_

Thomas woke up and looked around. It was another morning on Misty Island and he was still where he was upon falling asleep. But what he had seen and heard was still fresh in his head.

"W-Was...was it all a dream?" asked himself. He went to find the Logging Locos in the hopes that they would listen to him after some time to calm down. He found them at the Jobi-wood loading zone. They were all standing side-by-side with remorseful faces.

"G-good morning…" Thomas said carefully. All three engines spoke together. "We're truly very sorry…for everything," they all said sadly.

"Uh…I dreamt I saw an old friend of mine…telling me something very important…but I don't know what to say about it…" said Thomas.

"It must be the mist, fog can play tricks on all of us. You still might be a little tired," said Ferdinand. "We must get to work…and we'll do what we can to help you home."

"Thank you all," said Thomas. He decided to push Emma's words out of his head for now, thinking it was only just a dream. Later that morning, Thomas and the Logging Locos had three flatbeds of Jobi-logs.

"We have to take these to Sodor," said Thomas.

"We could wait for a boat, or we could try the tunnel," said Bash and Dash together. Thomas' boiler bubbled. "A tunnel?! You didn't tell me there was a tunnel!" He gasped.

"That's because we don't use it. It's closed 'cause it's dangerous. That's right," said the Logging Locos in sequence.

But Thomas was too excited to listen. "A tunnel to Sodor! I know all about tunnels. It won't be dangerous. We'll use the tunnel. I make good decisions…" But the Logging Locos finished the sentence for him. Thomas' firebox fizzed and flared.

"That's right…we're going to the tunnel." And together, they wheezed and wheeshed to the old tunnel to Sodor.

* * *

On Sodor, everyone was worried. But Rosie and Emily were the most worried of all. Emily was still in tears over Thomas and Rosie was still in deep puzzle about her own feelings for Thomas.

"Thomas is still missing. We will not give up. Our search must go on," said the Fat Controller.

Percy peeped and he puffed. "Thomas is gone." This made Emily feel even worse. She couldn't hold back her tears. "As I said before, I will be forever damned if I lose him!" she exclaimed.

* * *

Thomas and the Logging Locos puffed up to the tunnel. Thomas was now much happier. He'd be back with all his friends, and Emily soon. He couldn't wait to lay eyes on her again.

"We don't have enough oil to puff to Sodor. That's right!" called the Logging Locos.

"Yes you do!" Thomas replied. "It's a huff and a puff, a whirr and a whoosh, and we'll be there!"

So, wheel-turn by wheel-turn, Thomas, the Logging Locos and the Jobi-logs disappeared into the tunnel. The tunnel was dark, the tracks were twisty. Thomas and his friends bumped and jumped, they rattled and rocked. Then there was trouble.

"Cinders and ashes!" said Thomas. "What's this?" The track ahead was blocked. Then rock and rubble crashed and smashed behind them. They were trapped! They were scared.

"What do we do now?" called the twins.

Thomas made another decision. "We'll push and we'll puff until we break through." Now, Bash, Dash and Ferdinand were wheezing and whispering.

"We don't have enough oil! We can't push and puff! That's right!" they all said.

"Of course you can! 1…2…3…NOW!" bravely, Bash, Dash and Ferdinand pumped their pistons. Then with a gasp and a groan, they all ran out of oil. They couldn't push. They couldn't puff. They were all stuck in the tunnel, and no one knew they were there.

"Cinders and ashes!" gasped Thomas. "My decisions were wrong! I shouldn't have use the tunnel, I shouldn't have used all the oil for Hee-Haw, I was very, very wrong! This is a disaster!" By now, Thomas' fears reopened all over again, and he kept blaming himself for all of this. He thought Emily would surely be even sadder to the point of no ability to think straight…

* * *

At Brendam Docks, Emily was hiding in a small shed, still not recovered from her despair. Percy stared sadly out to sea.

"Can you see Thomas from up there, Cranky? Please?" he asked.

Cranky creaked. He felt sorry for Percy. "There's still no sign of him," he said.

Salty rolled over. "You'll see nothing of anything out there with the mist down."

Percy's wheels wobbled with worry. He puffed and he peeped. "Thomas, where are you? THOMAS!" called Percy.

* * *

Way below ground, on Misty Island, Thomas and the Logging Locos were still stuck and still scared. Thomas felt terrible. "This is all my fault! I thought I knew better than you. I thought I always made right decisions, but I don't. I made the worst decision of all…I'm sorry," he said.

The Logging Locos were kind. "You can't always be right all the time. That's right," they said in sequence. Thomas smiled.

"You're right." Then more rock crumbled down. It bounced off their boilers and fell on their fenders. Ferdinand frowned. "I can feel air on my funnel," he declared. Thomas was worried.

"Oh no! Perhaps the whole tunnel is going to fall in on us now!" he said. "What are we going to do?" Suddenly, Dash smiled. "I know exactly what we do!" he said. Then Bash smiled too. "Of course!" he added as Dash joined in the words.

"Puff forward, Thomas! So that your funnel in under the hole! Puff your hardest and someone will see your steam! That's right!"

Thomas beamed from buffer-to-buffer. "Just like Salty said! If I puff three times, maybe someone on Sodor will see my smoke signals!"

So Thomas pumped his pistons to puff…while Percy wheeshed and waited. Suddenly, the mist began to lift. Percy could see land.

"Cranky, Salty look!" he cried. "That must be Misty Island!" Then, Percy saw something that made his firebox fizz and his boiler bubble. Three puffs of smoke rose high in the sky. "It's Thomas! He must be on Misty Island! And he needs help. I must tell the Fat Controller at once!" Percy pumped his pistons.

When Emily heard Percy, she gained a lot of hope and joy. "Thomas?!" She screamed with hope. "He's ALIVE?!"

As Percy sped on his way, he said, "Don't worry, Thomas. Your troubles will end. I'm coming to save you! You can trust your best friend." And Percy whooshed away like the wind.

In the tunnel, the engines waited and hoped for help.

The Fat Controller arrived. "Show me the smoke signals, Percy!" he said.

"You'll have to wait sir. They come from Misty Island." Everyone waited and watched…then they whistled and waved.

"There he is, sir! There's Thomas!" peeped Percy. The Fat Controller was urgent.

"James, Edward and Gordon, you must sail to Misty Island immediately! I will come with you."

Percy was puzzled. "What about the tunnel, sir. I'm sure it's quicker."

"Hmm…Maybe, Percy. Fetch Whiff. He knows all about the tunnel." Thomas was trying to cheer up his friends. "Sodor engines are funny and fast. We like to be busy. We're first and not last. That's why they'll come soon. We'll be safe and sound. It won't be long now. I know we'll be found."

* * *

Workmen had bashed and crashed through to the old tunnel. The Fat Controller peered inside. He was worried. "This looks too dark and too deep," he said to Whiff.

"Don't worry, sir," said Whiff. "I know all the tracks. I'll find Thomas." Percy wheeshed. "Please sir…please may I go? Two boilers bubbling are better than one."

The Fat Controller was stern. "Very well, Percy. But chuff carefully." So Percy and Whiff whooshed down the tunnel and the Fat Controller hurried back to the boat at the docks.

Far out to sea, the boat steamed through the waves. The engines were ready and rearing to save Thomas who puffed and chuffed one more time while Whiff and Percy rattled on down the line through the dark and the deep. They were never afraid.

"We're coming!" peeped Percy. "So soon you'll be saved!"

Now it was the Logging Locos' turn to cheer Thomas up.

"We were too wild on the mainland. So they sent us to Misty Island. We weren't really useful. But we were really funny. That's right." Just then, they heard the clickity-clack of wheels on tracks.

"Listen!" said Thomas. The Logging Locos' eyes popped wide.

"Thomas!" called a muffled voice through the blocked track. "Are you there? It's Percy!"

Thomas was so happy, his axles tingled and jingled with joy. "Percy! My best, best friend!" he whistled. "You're here!"

"So is Whiff! We found you, Thomas!" called Percy. "We're just on the other side of these rocks."

"I'll push through to you, Percy!" said Thomas. But Whiff's voice was stern. "No, Thomas," he said. "I know this tunnel, you don't. Percy and I will push through to you!" Thomas knew Whiff was right. "You make good decisions, Whiff," he said. "I'll do what you say."

So together, Percy and Whiff rocked and rolled backwards. Then they pumped their pistons. And with all their puff and all their huff, they crashed and smashed through to Thomas and the Logging Locos.

"Hooray for Percy! Hooray for Whiff!" rejoiced Thomas. Percy peeped until he thought his pistons would pop. "Thomas!" he squeaked.

"And these are my friends. Dash, Bash and Ferdinand."

"Hello," said Percy and Whiff. "Hello," replied the three stooges.

"They have no fuel," said Thomas. "We must help them to Sodor." Whiff was suddenly serious. "Then you must all do as I say," he ordered.

* * *

James, Edward and Gordon arrived on Misty Island. They gasped. The island was quiet, and strange. And the mist was coming down. The Fat Controller looked out from James' cab.

"We will NOT stop until we find Thomas!" he ordered. "Puff on!"

* * *

Deep in the tunnel, Whiff, Percy and Thomas pushed and pulled Bash, Dash and Ferdinand along the twisty track. They had to huff hard.

"We're almost there…just around this bend is Sodor!" called Whiff. So with a heave and a haul, a shove and a shunt, Whiff led the brave engines out into the sunshine of Sodor. As they came to a stop at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, Emily was waiting. When she saw Thomas behind Whiff and Percy, she thought her boiler would burst with joy, and when she saw the Logging Locos, she was interested. And when Thomas caught a glimpse of Emily, he was very relieved too, but he wanted to introduce the new engines to his home as they were guests.

"Welcome to Sodor!" announced Thomas. Bash, Dash and Ferdinand wheeshed and whooshed with wonder. So did Emily, Henry and Toby.

"Oh my," said Henry. "Who are you?"

"We're Dash, Bash and Ferdinand," said the three engines.

"And where are you from?" asked Emily. "We're from Misty Island. That's right," the three stooges replied. Then they giggled and jiggled. And the big Sodor engines laughed too. Emily really wanted to reconnect with Thomas but she also wanted to teach him a lesson for worrying her to the point of paranoia once again…

* * *

On Misty Island, the engines were lost. "THOMAS! THOMAS!" called the Fat Controller.

"The mist is too thick!" groaned James.

"We can't see to puff!" called Gordon.

"How do we find Thomas?" howled Edward.

* * *

Thomas was excited. "I must hurry to find the Fat Controller." Percy gasped. "Flatten my funnel! The Fat Controller has gone to find you on Misty Island with Edward, Gordon and James!" Just then, Harold flew in. He wasn't happy.

"The steamboat has come back!" he reported. "The mist is down over Misty Island! IT will be impossible to find them now."

Thomas rattled his rods. "No it won't. I will find them. I must not delay. The tunnel is blocked…the boat is the way!" Percy was proud of his friend.

"We'll take care of Dash, Bash and Ferdinand," he promised.

"Thank you." and Thomas steamed quickly away to the docks…before Emily would properly reunite with her secret love.

"Thomas!" she called but Thomas had already disappeared around the bend. "Oh dear," she said to herself. "But when he sees me again, he'll learn some sense!"

Meanwhile, Thomas was feeling very silly for not reuniting with Emily right away, but at the same time, he didn't want to let down the Fat Controller or the three engines on Misty Island. Soon, Thomas rattled on to the rusty rails of Misty Island.

"I will not be scared. I will find a way. I'll take my friends home by the end of the day." Thomas rattled and rolled through the logging station. There was no one there. He had puffed all over the island, and he hadn't found the Fat Controller and his friends.

"I won't give up. I'll whistle once more. I know they're here somewhere, of that I'm quite sure. Thomas whistled a few times in a row, then waited…then, Thomas gasped and grinned. "I know those whistles! And I know where they are. They're in Echo Valley, and that's not far." Soon, Thomas whooshed into echo valley and to his friends. James, Edward and Gordon whistled and hooted with happiness. The Fat Controller jumped for joy in James' cab and threw his hat in victory. "THOMAS!" The Fat Controller's hat flew high in the air and into the mist.

Thomas was worried. "Sir, your hat!" he said. But the Fat Controller beamed. "Don't worry. I can find another hat, but I'll never find another Thomas." Thomas smiled from bumper to buffer. "I have so much to tell you, sir," he said. "We must hurry back to Sodor. Follow me."

While the Fat Controller greeted the three stooges and spoke a little with them, Thomas was not far away from the Rescue Centre. Then he heard a familiar whistle.

"Emily?" he called hopefully. Sure enough, Emily appeared around the bend. Thomas was looking forward to reuniting with her, but he also wanted to sincerely apologize for all the worries he had caused her for no justified reason. Sure enough, when he saw her, she looked stern and unpleased. She stopped abruptly, then a few seconds later, she puffed quickly forward, giving Thomas a bump back a few yards.

Thomas did not talk back. He completely understood her mood because of his big mistake and silly idea to go on that raft.

"Thomas!" scolded Emily. "What were you thinking?! Going on that raft despite the manager's warning?! I have NEVER heard of such a stupid thing to do! I worried myself sick and cried endlessly for hours for absolutely NOTHING! If you just waited for the next ship, NONE of this would have happened! I hope you learned some sense!" Almost right away, Emily looked very sad. She felt bad berating the engine she loved more than anyone else, but when she looked again, Thomas wasn't mad at her. He looked apologetic and ashamed.

"…You're right, Emily," he said as tears began to wet his eyes. "I was very silly and foolish to ever go out on that raft, and I have been the most silly engine ever…can you ever forgive me for worrying you so? I have truly been a terrible friend to you by doing this…"

Emily felt very hurt hearing Thomas being so hard on himself. "Please, Thomas, you're NOT a terrible friend! Don't blame yourself. And of course I forgive you! I could never stay angry at you…I'm just happy you're home…with me again…I just can't believe these fortunes…"

"Neither can I," said Thomas.

"T…Thomas…" Emily whispered. "You're…alive…You're not lost...not…d-drowned…you're alright…and home…" Her lip started to quiver fast. Thomas could also see her eyes beginning to shine with moisture and her cheeks formed a red flush. Then all of a sudden, Emily's emotions ran wild. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, many tears waterfalled and spouted everywhere and she made no effort to stop sobbing, gasping and wailing with happiness and relief. She buffered hard to Thomas, still crying loudly and long. She was crying so much, her tears were dripping all over Thomas' face. Thomas felt very happy too. As he felt her warm, wet tears trickle down his face, he softly calmed her.

"Aww. There, there, angel," he soothed, but even he was at the brink of tears.

Thomas' driver stepped up in front of Emily with a handkerchief. He climbed onto her running plate and dried some of her tears. When she looked at Thomas, she saw that he had started to cry too. He sniffled and gasped with joy. "I thought I'd never see you again, Emily!" he sobbed. "I don't ever want to be without you! You make my life, Emily! You're truly the best friend I ever had!" And the two engines continued to cry happily together as they never felt more relieved and happy before.

* * *

All the engines worked hard to finish the Search and Rescue Centre. It took two more days, but the centre was eventually completed. All the engines attended the Grand Opening and it was a huge success. The Logging Locos were happy to be really useful and Harold was impressed with the new centre. The whole day went by rather quickly for Thomas and Emily. Emily was still very relieved at Thomas' return, and Thomas was very relieved to be home again.

After the Search and Rescue Centre had its Grand Opening, the engines all returned to Tidmouth Sheds.

"Your smoke signals really worked, Thomas!" squeaked Percy.

"Misty Island was mysterious," said Edward.

"Very misty," added James.

"And hard to see," said Gordon.

"It was strange to me," said Thomas. "But also exciting. It was nice to find a new island, but Sodor is the best home for all of us."

After the moon rose in the night sky and the other engines fell asleep, Thomas looked at Emily. She was still in awe, relief and surprise that the engine of her dreams was alive and well. Thomas turned round on the turntable and touched her buffers. She looked at him with an expression of want. She tried to say those magic words.

"Thomas…"

"Yes, Emily? What is it?" Thomas asked.

"I…I love…" Emily said. She really wanted to say one more word…but she still wasn't brave enough. "I love that you've come home…I don't ever want to live without you," she said, still smiling.

Thomas wasn't disappointed. He felt touched by these words. "Well, like I said, Emily. Your spirit and memories really brought be back home."

"Thomas…please stay buffered up to me…please? I want to know you're still with me…"

"Of course, Emily," Thomas smiled. "I want to feel you're with me too."

"Thank you, Thomas," Emily whispered as she fell asleep, smiling peacefully.

"Goodnight, and pleasant dreams, sweetie," Thomas whispered as he touched his nose to hers and fell a sleep too.

Some distance from Tidmouth Sheds, Rosie was watching the two engines with wonder and confusion.

"What do I need to do to love Thomas properly?" she asked herself. "Maybe Emily's right…I need to practice a little more…but someday, Thomas, you will love me…" And Rosie puffed quietly away by herself, thinking deeply while Thomas and Emily slept happily together, after a Misty Island rescue.

* * *

Whooo, boy! This took longer then expected right, well as you tell by it's insane length, the wait is justified. Anyway, to all you "Star Wars The Clone Wars" fans, you might have noticed that the dream with Thomas talking to Emma was very similar to the scene in the episode "Overlords" where Anakin is talking to his dead mother Shmi. So yeah, another Star Wars reference. Anyway, after the madness of this chapter, I think it's time for a more relaxed (that's putting it lightly) story. I'm pretty sure that somewhere back down the line I said that we would just be focusing on this story from now on...yeah, I lied, well actually I only came up with this new idea a few days ago so...yeah, look forward to that. So guys leave your reviews and tell us what you thought of this chapter, until then I'll see you with the new story coming soon.


	22. Pingy Pongy Pick Up

Thomas and Emily had quite an experience over the course of a few days. Thomas was sent to gather Jobi-wood to help with the new Search and Rescue Centre and thanks to his impatience, he wound up lost on Misty Island. As such, Rosie and especially Emily were driven distraught over the possible loss of this special tank engine. But of course Thomas returned much to Emily's overpowering relief and happiness and now, life seemed a little easier.

It was an exciting day on the Island of Sodor. It was the opening game for the Sodor United football team. All the engines huffed and puffed to be ready on time.

At Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas, James, Percy and Emily were waiting for the Fat Controller to come and give out the jobs.

"I hope Sodor United wins," said Emily.

"So do I, Emily," agreed Thomas.

"Me too," peeped Percy.

"Sodor United can't be beat," said James.

Then the Fat Controller arrived. "Today is a very busy day," he said. "One engine must take the Sodor United team to the football field. One engine must take the fans. One must deliver the apples for the halftime break. And the other must collect the dirty washing from Maithwaite Station and take it to the laundry lady."

The engines wheeshed happily. "Now I must hurry," said the Fat Controller. "Thomas, you will decide which engines does which job."

Emily was very excited. "Football is my favorite game," she smiled. "I always puff past the football pitch when the Sodor United team is playing…did you know that the goal keeper has a lucky pair of gloves and…"

Emily was so busy boasting, she didn't hear her friends.

"I'll take the team to the football pitch," decided Thomas.

"I'll take the fans," said James.

"And I'll take the apples for halftime break," said Percy. He and James left the sheds.

"Wait a minute," exclaimed Emily, realizing she hadn't been given a job yet. "What am I going to do?"

"You…can take the dirty washing, Emily," said Thomas. And he steamed quickly out of the sheds to keep on time. Emily was surprised and shocked.

"Pingy-Pongy washing?" she exclaimed. "I know all about the Sodor United Team! I wanted the most important job! Delivering the washing isn't the most important job!"

Emily huffed huffily to a junction. She was cross. "I don't want to puff to Maithwaite to collect the Pingy-Pongy washing…what was Thomas thinking?! He should have given ME his job, or at least any job the other engines have!"

Then Rosie pulled up to the junction. "What's with you, Emily?" she asked.

"Thomas told me to gather pongy washing! I should be helping the Sodor United team! Collecting washing won't help them!"

"Thomas told you to gather washing...most peculiar," said Rosie. Then her signal went green and she puffed off. "If Thomas gave Emily pongy washing instead of a more important job...he must think she's not so important...More chance for me!" she chirped as she steamed on with a smile. But underneath her smile, she was nowhere near as positive or confident in her ability to win Thomas' heart as she use to. Emily's outburst when Thomas was lost at sea kept ringing in her smokebox and it was all little Rosie could think about and she was slowly realizing she was fighting an unstoppable opponent in a losing battle.

Back at the junction, Emily saw Percy chuffing across the bridge. He was on his way to Farmer McColl's farm to collect the apples.

"Percy has a very important job. I'm sure I can help him." So Emily didn't chuff to Maithwaite. She took the track to Farmer McColl's farm instead. Emily huffed her hardest to Farmer McColl's. Percy was being coupled up to the truck of apples.

"Hello, Percy. I'll help you. I'll be your back engine," she volunteered.

"No thank you, Emily," replied Percy. "I'm fine." But Emily wanted to help. So Emily buffered up to the other end of the truck. She began to pull.

"Fizzling Fireboxes!" But Percy was pulling the truck from the other side. Then there was trouble. Emily pulled so hard that the coupling broke. The apple truck tumbled off the tracks. Apples bounced and rolled everywhere! Percy was cross.

"I don't need your help, Emily!" he wheeshed. "This is MY job! Your job is to collect the washing!" Emily didn't want to collect the washing. So she steamed slowly away.

"I want to help my team win the day! Picking up pongy washing won't help them play!" Emily clickity-clacked to a junction. Then Emily saw one of her former enemies…James. James had collected the Sodor United fans.

"James has a very important job," said Emily. "I'm sure I can help him with that." So Emily pumped her pistons. She had to puff to the junction before James.

"James, stop!" she called. "I can help you with your important job! I'll be your back engine, then the fans will arrive more quickly!"

But James was going too fast to stop. "Out of my way, Emily!" he called. But Emily didn't chuff out of the way. James had to screech into a siding. His wheels whirred and he bumped into the buffers. Luckily, no one was hurt, but James was cross.

"Thank you, Emily. I don't need your help!" He wheeshed. "This is MY job! Your job is to collect the dirty washing!" This made Emily cross. She really didn't want to puff to Maithwaite to collect the washing. James steamed snootily away with the carriages of fans. When Emily saw his smug expression, her firebox flared with utter annoyance.

"I want the most important job!" she insisted. "I want to help my team win the day! Picking up pongy washing won't help them play!"

Then Thomas puffed past with Annie and Clarabel. Thomas was going to collect the Sodor United football team.

"Thomas has a very important job," said Emily. "I'm sure I can help him with that." Emily pumped her pistons and wheeshed after Thomas. Emily chuffed into the Town Square. She screeched to a stop. The Sodor United football team was waiting…and the Fat Controller was cross.

"Emily, where are Sodor United's clean football shirts and shorts?" he asked, displeased.

Emily was puzzled. Then she gasped. "Fizzling Fireboxes! The Pingy-Pongy Washing was the team's football shirts and shorts!" Emily felt terrible. So did Thomas. He suddenly realized that he must have caused some of the mess by not telling Emily about the team's washing. _"Oh, I am so_ s_tupid!_" he thought. "_Why didn't I tell her what the washing was?!_"

"I didn't take the washing to the laundry lady…" Emily moaned sadly. "Now the team have nothing to wear for the opening game…the game can't take place, and it's all my fault!" Emily felt very silly. Thomas' heart twitched painfully as he saw a small tear escape Emily's eye.

"I thought that all other jobs were more important than mine. Now I see that all jobs are important…I'm very sorry, sir. I'm very sorry, team."

The Fat Controller was cross indeed. Before he could berate Emily, Thomas cut in. "It's not all your fault, Emily…It's somewhat my fault," he said shamefully.

"…Thomas?" asked the Fat Controller.

"I didn't tell Emily everything, sir. All I said was for her to take the dirty washing. I didn't mention anything about it being the uniforms for the team...I wanted to keep on time."

The Fat Controller looked at Thomas. "…Better late than never. Helping your friends is just as important."

Emily wheeshed weakly. "Please sir, I'll puff my hardest and make sure the team have clean football shirts and shorts in time for the opening match."

"Good luck, angel," Thomas murmured. Emily blushed as she heard this and went on her way to set things right.

Emily collected the football shirts and shorts from Maithwaite Station. Then she huffed and puffed to Maron Station. The laundry lady quickly washed the clothes.

"These shirts and shorts are soaking wet. They won't be dry in time for the opening game," she said.

Emily was very worried…then an idea flew into Emily's funnel, as she remembered seeing a Sodor United flag on Clarabel, flapping in the wind.

"Please tie the wet washing to my funnel. The washing can dry in the wind as I race to the town square." The laundry lady agreed.

Emily chuffed and puffed proudly along the tracks. The wet football shirts and shorts flapped and fluttered in the wind.

"Now the team will have clean washing for the match. My team will be clean and ready to play! Go, Sodor United, the best team today! Hooray!" she rejoiced. Everyone waved to Emily and Emily whistled back. Emily huffed happily into the Town Square. She was just in time for the football game.

"Here are your clean, dry football shirts and shorts," she announced proudly. The Sodor United football team cheered and clapped. Emily felt very important. "Good luck for the match." Then Emily gave a special chant. "Two, four, six, eight! We're the team that's never late! SODOR UNITED!" Everyone laughed and laughed and Emily blew her whistle loudest of all.

"Well, the time is soon approaching," said Thomas. "We must be off!" The Sodor United football team and the Fat Controller boarded Annie and Clarabel and Thomas set off for the football pitch at Dyraw. Emily followed, the shirts and shorts still gliding on her in the wind. Once they reached the pitch at Dyraw FC, Emily's driver and fireman took off the shirts and shorts and gave them to the team in preparation for the match.

Soon the match began. The Sodor United football team played hard and determined. Emily wanted to help encourage the team by being their cheerleader.

"Go, Sodor United, the best team today! Hooray!" She called to them. This gave the team confidence and determination as they played harder and with more effort. Thomas came up beside Emily.

"Lovely cheer leading, sweetheart," he said. Emily blushed and chuckled. "Thank you, Thomas. I always love watching teams play."

After much cheering, playing and whistle-blows, Sodor United won the opening game.

"Well done to you all!" praised the Fat Controller. The Sodor United football team shook hands with the Fat Controller. As they approached Thomas, he got an idea and winked at Emily.

"Please, sir," he asked. "May Emily take the team home? She learned her lesson and helped them in time for the game."

The Fat Controller thought…then he spoke. "Of course, Thomas. And I must say, her cheer leading was rather interesting."

"Uh…thank you, sir," Emily smiled meekly. Thomas uncoupled from Annie and Clarabel and let Emily couple to them. The Sodor United football team boarded the train and Emily sighed happily. Thomas was still waiting on the track beside her.

"Thank you, Thomas," she whispered. "Not just for letting me take the team home…but you DID give me the most important job of all…by helping the team prepare for the opening game…and now they've won!"

"You're most welcome, Emily," Thomas murmured. "You have been a wonderful help today." The guards whistle blew and Thomas and Emily puffed side-by-side, escorting the team home. And as they went on their way, Emily cheered one more time for the team.

"Two, four, six, eight! We're the team that won the game! SODOR UNITED!"

* * *

OK, so in all honesty, this to me is the most tolerable episode from all of Seasons 13-16, heck even from Seasons 9-12, I don't know I just like this episode. Also have you guys noticed that Miranda Larson, the person who wrote this episode and "A Blooming Mess", has written good episodes for Emily, but the other two episodes she has written, "Time For a Story" and "Merry Winter Wish" are about Thomas and they're both bad. And in both Seasons 13 and 14 she wrote two episodes, one about Thomas and one about Emily. Not that it really means anything, just something I thought I'd mention, maybe Thomas and Emily are her favorite characters? Not romantically obviously.

Anyway I'm rambling on for way too long now, leave a review for this chapter and see you all in the next chapter, "Blue Mountain Mystery."


	23. Blue Mountain Mystery

Thomas and Emily's lives had been going quite well. Some time ago, Emily had helped Sodor United's football team for their opening game. Thomas had worked frequently at the Search and Rescue Centre and Emily was still very happy having Thomas back with her after he returned from Misty Island.

It was a busy day on the Island of Sodor. At the Blue Mountain Quarry, the Narrow Gauge Engines were working hard. The Blue Mountain Quarry was a new railway service that needed some small engines on the job. Skarloey, Peter Sam, Rheneas, Sir Handel and Rusty were all assigned by the Thin Controller, Mr Percival, to work in this quarry to help give them more variety besides working on the Skarloey railway, one of the oldest railways on the Island of Sodor.

Owen the Incline Engine was waiting for Paxton the Diesel. Paxton was collecting heavy trucks of slate to take to Brendam Docks. Paxton liked the Blue Mountain Quarry. The clever ways the slate was transferred and arranged was nothing like the Ffarquhar Quarry Mavis worked at.

"Do you always work this hard at the quarry, Skarloey?" Paxton asked.

"Always. If your wheels aren't whirring, you aren't being a really useful engine," replied Skarloey. Paxton started to whirr his wheels again.

"LOOK OUT!" called a voice. Paxton saw a large piece of slate drop right in front of him, then he stopped. "What was that, Peter Sam?!" called Paxton. High above in the quarry, a giant keystone in Blondin Bridge had come loose.

"Fenders and Fireboxes! Blondin Bridge isn't safe!" cried Peter Sam. "Oh! Rheneas is on his way down from the upper terrace!" exclaimed Merrick the Crane. "He'll have to cross the bridge with heavy trucks!"

"We must warn him! Sound the alarm!" called Rusty. All the engines were suddenly still. All the engines were hushed. All the engines watched. Rheneas heard the siren.

"Oh no!" he said. "There must be danger." But he didn't know why the siren was sounding…until it was too late.

"There he is!" called Sir Handel. Rheneas saw the bridge up ahead and saw a man waving a danger flag, which Rheneas was therefore able to deduce that the bridge wasn't safe. "Stop! STOP!" called the flagman.

Rheneas tried to stop. "Blondin Bridge is falling down!" called the flagman. But his heavy trucks pushed him on, right onto the damaged bridge. Rheneas pumped his pistons as never before. He had to puff across before the bridge collapsed! Rheneas was almost knocked off the rails. He shot through a tunnel, through a shed and down a steep line of rails. At last, Rheneas rolled to a stop, right by Skarloey.

"Huh. I'm alright! I made it down safely!" he gasped. Then all the narrow gauge engines started to laugh and cheer. "Hooray!"

"Um...er...excuse me! Um...I-I-I wonder if, er, someone could help me? M-maybe? Please?" called Paxton. He had been covered and derailed by most of the rubble from the bridge. Then one more stone bounced off of him. "Ow."

"We must alert the Fat Controller!" whistled Sir Handel. The Blue Mountain Quarry manager phoned Knapford Station. When the Fat Controller answered, he left immediately for the quarry in quite a different vehicle than his own car.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Thomas' Branch Line, the sun was shining. The birds were singing and Thomas was having fun with Annie and Clarabel.

"Hold on tight!" he called as he gave speed. He laughed and chortled along the line while Annie and Clarabel simply held onto concern.

"Clattering Carriages! Slow down, Thomas!" called Annie. "Slow down, slow down! The signal is red!" called Clarabel.

"I always slow down when I come to a red signal," laughed Thomas.

"Only because we tell you to. Only because we keep you on track," the coaches replied. "You worry too much," chuckled Thomas. Suddenly, Thomas, Annie and Clarabel heard the strangest sound.

"Cinders and Ashes. What's that?" asked Thomas. Around the bend came a small red car on the tracks. He was carrying the Fat Controller. Thomas was surprised.

"Winston! Please stop!" howled the Fat Controller. "Wait there a moment, Thomas. I need to talk to you." The car kept bumping backwards until the Fat Controller finally managed to get control. "Good morning, Thomas. This is Winston. He is my new track inspection car."

"Good morning, Winston. Nice to meet you," said Thomas. "Nice to meet you too, Thomas," replied Winston.

"Thomas, I have a special job for you," said the Fat Controller. "Paxton has been in an accident at the Blue Mountain Quarry. I have arranged with the Thin Controller to send you to work in his place. Your job will be to take loaded slate trucks to the docks."

"Thank you, sir. I like working with my Narrow Gauge friends!" But secretly, Thomas wished that Emily could join him. Although he hadn't seen the Narrow gauge engines for some time, Emily always made his day the happiest and best of any engine.

"Toby will take over on your branch line, but before you go, you must deliver the rest of these passengers," said the Fat Controller.

"Of course, sir," said Thomas, before hearing a loud groan from Winston.

"Winston, we must hurry. Today is a busy day. Don't worry. It's early days yet," said the Fat Controller, understanding Winston's unstable performance.

"That's right, sir. Early days," said Winston.

"Of course, sir. Goodbye, Winston!"

"Goodbye, Thomas!" called Winston. Thomas liked Winston already. So did Annie and Clarabel.

"We have a new friend!" he said. "We like Winston!" echoed Annie and Clarabel.

Meanwhile, Emily was idling at Knapford Station with Edward. She was wondering about Thomas.

"Where do you suppose Thomas could be, Edward?" asked Emily.

"On his Branch Line with Annie and Clarabel, of course," chuckled Edward.

"It'd be nice if I could work with him more," said Emily. Then the Fat Controller came bumping and bouncing along in Winston. Edward and Emily couldn't help but laugh quietly at this. It seemed that the Fat Controller still didn't seem to learn how to drive properly. When he managed to stop Winston, he spoke up.

"Emily, you must come to the Blue Mountain Quarry. I'm afraid Paxton's had an accident," he said.

"What happened, sir?"

"Blondin Bridge collapsed and the rubble derailed him. He must go to the Dieselworks."

"Right away, sir," whistled Emily. When she arrived at the Blue Mountain Quarry, she felt bad for Paxton. She found him to be very carefree and friendly, unlike some diesels.

"Don't worry, Paxton. I'll get you to the Dieselworks," promised Emily. Paxton smiled as the workmen cleared the rubble off. When the Breakdown Train arrived, Paxton was lifted onto a flatbed and Emily set off carefully and gently along the line. She and Paxton exchanged simple conversations and jokes as they went along the line. Soon, Emily stopped at a signal box.

"I'm sorry you were in an accident, Paxton. It must have been horrible," she said sympathetically.

"Oh it's not so bad, Emily. A biff and a bash, that's all," Paxton replied.

Then Thomas came hurrying along the track. He looked ahead and smiled with excitement. Seeing Emily was more than enough to make him happy any day. "Hello, Emily. Hello, Paxton," he whistled.

"Hello, Tommy," Emily answered. "Ohh, not again," Thomas groaned very quietly. "I have to do Paxton's job at the quarry, Emily."

"Aww, I wish I could help you up there, Thomas," Emily said with a longing expression.

"So do I, Emily," smiled Thomas. "But don't worry. I'll see you later today." Then Thomas turned to Paxton.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Just a biff and a bash, Thomas," said Paxton. "That's all. They'll soon fix me up when I get to the Dieselworks."

"I'm sure they will, Paxton. Good luck. I must hurry. They're waiting for me up at the Blue Mountain Quarry."

"Be careful up there, Thomas," cautioned Paxton. But Thomas was already far away.

Thomas was excited that the Fat Controller had given him the job of working with the Narrow Gauge Engines. By the time he reached the Blue Mountain Quarry, he had almost forgotten about Paxton…and then, Thomas saw what had happened to the bridge.

"Oh, my!" he exclaimed. But then a familiar face appeared before him. "Hello, Thomas!" whistled Skarloey.

The Narrow Gauge Engines were much smaller than Thomas. "Hello, Thomas!" whistled Peter Sam on the cliff side. They ran on narrow rails. "Hello, Thomas!" called Sir Handel.

"Hello, my friends," replied Thomas. "Rheneas, what happened? Were you in an accident too?"

"Well…I did get a few extra scrapes and scratches, Thomas. Actually, I could really use a fresh…"

"It could have been worse," Skarloey cut in. "Luckily, Rheneas is still safe and in good working order. Ready for…"

"A fresh coat of paint!" Rheneas finished and started laughing with Thomas. Skarloey frowned.

"As I was saying," he continued. "Ready for work."

"OK, Skarloey," said Thomas. "I'm ready to huff my hardest. Just show me what I need to do!"

So Skarloey showed Thomas around Blue Mountain Quarry. Thomas watched as the slate trucks were loaded from a high cable then sent down towards a pipe-belt where the workmen pushed the big slab of slate along towards the circular saw. There, the slab was cut into thinner bars that looked like roof tiles. Thomas rolled down to the loading zone beside Sir Handel to watch.

"Your slate should be ready soon, Thomas," said Sir Handel. "You'd best get moving."

"Too right, Sir Handel," whistled Thomas as he went to the next hopper.

Thomas watched Rheneas from above. Rheneas reversed to the ledge of a track and just beneath him was a huge pile of broken slate. The truck tipped over, letting the slate fall onto the pile and onto a conveyor belt. Then the slate was sent through a crusher and came out in stone-size pieces. The slate was now sent down into a huge hopper where Thomas could go and load some of his trucks.

Sir Handel went on his own way with his own trucks full of slate and Rusty sent two more trucks to Owen to be sent down. Thomas backed up and loaded the last few trucks. His driver patted his cab in praise and Thomas set off again.

Thomas was pleased with his work at the Blue Mountain Quarry. As night fell, he chuffed happily away to Brendam Docks. He had a wonderful time with the Narrow Gauge engines, but now he really wanted to get home to Tidmouth Sheds, not just to his friends…but to his most precious possession…Emily. When he arrived, he saw that all the engines were asleep. Then he saw Emily in the centre berth. He gently crossed the turntable to her and gave her a very gentle nudge to wake her. She opened her eyes slightly, then smiled when she saw Thomas.

"I'm home, dear," he whispered. Despite her sleepy position, Emily blushed.

"Hello, honey," she yawned quietly. "You took longer than I thought…but I'm happy you're back."

"Just wanted you to feel safe and peaceful now that you know I'm here," Thomas whispered as he backed into the free berth beside Henry. He really wished he could be right beside her, but he was at least in her presence and that was all that mattered.

"Goodnight, Emily," he whispered.

"Goodnight, Thomas," Emily whispered back. That night, Thomas slept soundly at Tidmouth Sheds…and his little friends slept soundly in the hills.

* * *

The next morning, Thomas was the first engine to wake up. He looked and saw that Emily had awoken right after him. She looked a little disappointed. Thomas didn't like seeing her like this.

"What's the matter, angel?" Thomas asked.

"Well, Thomas…" Emily began. "You'll be working at that quarry for some time…I just wish we could work together more often. I do miss you, Thomas. I wish we could have more time together. I was a little lonely yesterday."

Thomas turned round on the turntable and buffered to Emily. Emily felt a little better when she saw Thomas looking at her with gentle friendliness.

"Hey, beautiful, I'm just working at a place I don't usually work at. Give me a smile. I'm not leaving the island." Emily looked at Thomas. After some time she did manage to smile.

"I'll always come back when my work is through," said Thomas.

"And I'll be ready to see you and enjoy your company, Thomas," Emily said kindly. Thomas gently touched his nose to hers and kept that position for a few minutes. Then he eventually went on his way for work.

"Bye, Thomas," called Emily. "See you later, Em," called Thomas. As he puffed off, Emily was a little surprised. "Em?" she asked herself. "He must have a nickname for me…"

So Thomas went back to work at the Blue Mountain Quarry. He was shunting trucks. Thomas heard a rattle from inside the tunnel. Suddenly, a small green engine darted out. An engine that Thomas had never seen before.

"Hello, I'm Thomas!" he whistled. But the engine didn't answer.

"Cinders and ashes…how strange," pondered Thomas. Sir Handel came whistling up beside him.

"Good morning, Thomas," he said quickly.

"Good morning, Sir Handel. I've just seen a little green engine racing from one tunnel to another. Who is he?"

"Who now? Um…" Sir Handel began. "As sure as these hills are high, I don't know. It was probably a runaway truck, Thomas. Lots of those up here." And Sir Handel huffed on. Thomas was even more puzzled. "I'm sure that wasn't a runaway truck," he said to himself.

At the hopper, Thomas saw the green engine again. "Rheneas! Who's that little green engine?"

"Engine? What engine?" said Rheneas. "I don't know. Uh…very busy, can't stop. Lots to do."

"This is very strange," said Thomas. He decided he would find out about this engine one way or another. Thomas looked around the quarry. Soon he saw that engine rush past again.

"Hello? Please stop," Thomas whistled. "Who are you?" But the engine didn't stop, and the engine didn't talk. Thomas couldn't follow the little green engine along the Narrow Gauge Rails. His wheels were too big.

"Rusty, do you know a little green engine?" asked Thomas.

"I think…I'm sure I think…it was a mountain goat," the little diesel replied.

"It wasn't a mountain goat," insisted Thomas. "It was an engine."

"Huh. I'm afraid I can't help then," oiled Rusty.

Thomas was even more puzzled. "Merrick?" he called, but Merrick was snoring away as usual. "Wake up sleepy crane!" whistled Thomas. This woke Merrick up with a jump. "Have I missed something?" he stammered.

"Merrick, do you know a little green engine?" asked Thomas. "Eh, no, Thomas, and er...I think it's my nap time..." Merrick yawned and went back to sleep. Owen saw this and started to laugh. But Thomas didn't think this was funny, he was getting annoyed. "Owen? Can you help me? Have you seen a strange green engine that pops in and out of tunnels?"

"This quarry is full of engines who pop in and out of tunnels...er, going down!" Owen shouted as Sir Handel shunted a truck of slate onto his platform. "Next stop, quarry floor."

"Nobody wants to talk to me," Thomas said huffily. Then, Thomas saw the green engine again. He gasped as the engine came to a stop beside him.

"Wait, little engine…please, who are you?" asked Thomas. The green engine stared at Thomas. And then he hurried away again. "Hurry, Luke!" said Skarloey. But Thomas didn't want to lose him this time.

The engine was cornered by Rheneas, who came right out of another tunnel. "I'm sorry, Luke," said Rheneas.

"Oh my!" said the green engine. He reversed back only to bump into Sir Handel. "Oh no!" Sir Handel groaned. He tried going back down the tunnel he came from when Peter Sam came out. "Hello, Luke," said Peter Sam. "You're in a hurry." But then Peter Sam saw Thomas. "Oh. Help," he said quietly.

Luke was now surrounded by several engines. "Luke, over here!" whistled Rheneas, who ran over the points, clearing the line to the tunnel so that Luke could escape. Luke rushed away back into the tunnel, with Thomas giving chase, but Luke was already in the tunnel and Thomas couldn't go in after him.

Thomas had lost the green engine. He was upset. "Skarloey, who is Luke?" he asked. "Why does he keep puffing away? Why will NONE of you talk to me about him?!"

"He's a friend, Thomas," began Skarloey.

"I'm a friend. Why won't you tell me who he is?" Thomas asked. "Then I can be his friend too." The quarry was still and silent. Owen stopped working, and even Merrick woke up.

"Yes, Thomas," said Skarloey. "You are our friend…and so we will trust you." The other narrow gauge engines whistled and honked in agreement. "What I'm going to tell you, no one else must know…Luke hides here in the Blue Mountain Quarry because he is scared."

"Why?" asked Thomas.

"Because, once long ago, Luke did something very bad. He thinks that if anyone finds him, he'll be sent away from Sodor forever."

Thomas' boiler bubbled with alarm. "Sent away?!"

"That's right, Thomas," said Skarloey. "Sent away. So, here in the Blue Mountain Quarry, we make sure that our friend Luke always stays hidden. That way, no one will find him and he won't be sent away."

"What did Luke do that was so bad?" Thomas wanted to know.

"You know enough now, Thomas," said Skarloey. "And remember: Everything you've heard, you must keep locked in your funnel!"

In the tunnel, two eyes blinked and disappeared into the darkness.

That evening, Thomas was taking trucks of slate to the docks. His axles ached and his wheels were weary, but Thomas didn't mind. His boiler was bubbling with thoughts of Luke.

"Why does Luke have to hide away like that? Why is he so scared of being found?" He asked himself. "What could he have done that could be bad enough to be sent away from Sodor?"

Thomas had to find out what Luke had done. He wanted to know the whole story.

* * *

At Tidmouth Sheds, Emily was waiting for Thomas. When she saw him return, she was excited and happy at first, but when she saw his concerned expression, she grew concerned herself. Thomas said nothing as he backed into the berth beside Percy.

"What's the matter, Thomas?" peeped Percy. "You haven't said hello."

"I'm sorry, Percy. I was thinking," said Thomas.

"What about?" asked Percy. Thomas had to be careful. He couldn't talk about Luke…even to his best friend…or his angel.

"What do you all think is the worst thing an engine could do?" he asked. "Something really bad." When the engines heard this, they all became a little frightened…most particularly Emily. _"What is he talking about?"_ she thought to herself.

"One of the worst things that I've ever done," said Percy, "was when I was trying to sneak up on the coaches, and I crashed right into the Fat Controller's baggage trolley. Baggage, clothes and sticky jam flew up into the air, and fell over me and the Fat Controller. He was very cross with me. I can still remember when he seized his top hat off my lamp iron."

_"MINE!" _he said._ "Percy, Look at this!"_

_"Yes sir…I am sir."_

_"MY best trousers too!"_

_"Yes sir…please, sir…"_

_"We MUST pay the passengers for their spoiled clothes, and my trousers are ruined! I hope this will teach you not to play tricks on the coaches!"_

"You didn't mean to crash into the baggage trolley, Percy," said Henry. "It was an accident. I think what I did was far worse…" Henry recalled when he was afraid of the rain. "I refused to leave the tunnel, because I didn't want to get my paint wet in the rain."

"_We shall take away your rails and leave you here for always…"_ the Fat Controller had said when he finally gave up.

"The Fat Controller was really cross. So cross, in fact, he walled me up in the tunnel. That was bad," sighed Henry.

"Not as bad or indignant as what I did," admitted Gordon. "When you and James hurt Emily so much for so long?" Henry asked crossly.

"Perhaps, but I'm talking about much longer ago. Remember? I was supposed to take a special goods train. When I was turned halfway round on the turntable, I moved slowly forward so I could jam it, but I couldn't stop myself and slithered into a ditch." Gordon formed a meek expression as he remembered the words spoken at that ditch…

_"Oosh!" _he hissed._ "Get me out! GET ME OUT!" _

_"Not a hope," _said his driver and fireman._ "You're stuck, you silly great engine, don't you understand that?"_

"Oh, the indignity!" shuddered Gordon as he remembered being stuck there until dusk. Thomas suddenly remembered his mine incident. "Do you remember the day I was shunting trucks at the mine? I knew I shouldn't puff past the danger sign. But I wanted to see what would happen if I did. I steamed right past it, into a siding. And fell down into the mine."

_"Fire and smoke! I'm sunk! Oh, dear! I AM a silly engine!"_ Thomas had said. _"And a very naughty one too. I saw you,"_ said the Fat Controller.

"That was very bad," said Emily.

"But not bad enough to be sent away from Sodor…forever," said Thomas.

"Forever!" Exclaimed Percy. "That would be terrible!"

"Unthinkable!" said Edward.

"What about Diesel?" said James. "He pushed the logs off the bridge and into the sea."

"But even he wasn't sent away from Sodor," said Emily.

With this serious topic on Emily's mind, she knew she had to recall her mishaps, much to her misery. "What about everything I did?" she asked sadly. "Back when I was still suffering, I bossed Thomas to get his snowplough fitted, although I really didn't want to. When I had to help the baby calves, I bossed everyone to work faster…I bragged to Thomas that I would be the grandest engine and the Clean Engine Inspection. When I had to take the express, I forgot the brake coach, left Bertie's passengers stranded at the station and refused to take on water." Her lip started to quiver and her voice shook.

"Th-then I t-teased Thomas about being slow with his milk delivery. When I told him he could have taken the children if he was fast, he challenged me to a race. He won, but my teasing led to the milk becoming almost butter." Then she started to sob quietly. "Then there w-w-was that accident at the castle, when I thought I could be a queen. I told Percy to go along my line, but he crashed into Mavis and Toby followed. I may have gone for help, but I couldn't undo the damage myself. How I was never sent away is a little surprising to me…We know what happened besides that, but I still can't forgive myself...I…I…"

By now, Emily was really crying. She continued to sniffle and hiccup for several minutes. Although Thomas and Emily had no privacy, Thomas couldn't help himself. He turned round on the turntable and came towards Emily. The other engines smiled heartfeltly at this sight.

"Shh…please don't cry, Emily," Thomas whispered. "All of that is gone. You're alright." Emily's sobs became quieter and calmer. Soon, she stopped crying altogether.

After Thomas reversed back to his own berth, the engines fell silent, still wondering about what could be bad enough to be sent away. Then as the stars twinkled over Tidmouth Sheds, one by one, the engines fell asleep. All except Thomas.

"Don't worry, Luke. I'll find a way to help you," he whispered.

* * *

When morning came, the sun's warmth spread over Tidmouth Sheds. Emily could feel the brightness through her closed eyes and slowly woke up…then she gasped quietly. In front of her, touching her buffers was Thomas. He was still fast asleep as his back was facing the sun. Emily felt happy that Thomas wanted to sleep with her. It told her that he cared for her feelings very deeply. She gently touched her nose to Thomas' and wondered why he must have snuck onto her track and fell asleep with her. Emily yawned as she drifted more awake. Thomas heard the cute sound, then felt something very soothing on his face. He could feel Emily's lovely, warm breath from her yawn flow across his cheeks. He shuddered comfortably as he woke up and saw her peaceful smile.

"Oh…er…good morning, Emily," he said sheepishly.

"Good morning, Thomas," murmured Emily. "I remember you were last seen in your own berth beside Percy…Why did you sneak over here with me?"

"I thought you were still sad after remembering your terrible days," Thomas said. "I didn't want you to be sleeping with those terrible thoughts in your mind…and I couldn't bear if you started to cry again. So I snuck over here with you to keep you warm, safe and peaceful so you wouldn't feel sad." Emily smiled at Thomas' explanation. She couldn't get over Thomas' consideration and generosity.

"And by the way…" Thomas added, shyly. "Your breath is very warm. Your yawn gave me a lovely wake-up."

Emily blushed pink. "Oh, Thomas, you really know how to touch my heart. You're ever-so sweet. And thank you for sleeping with me last night."

Thomas smiled, then realized he'd have to go to the Blue Mountain Quarry. "I'd best be going, Emily. I'll see you later today."

Emily smiled as Thomas backed onto the turntable and turned round. "See you later, Thomas," she called. And Thomas was on his way again.

* * *

The Blue Mountain Quarry was busy. Rocky was lifting and loading the stones from the broken Blondin Bridge. Rheneas was still complaining about his scrapes and scratches at Paxton's accident. "I don't like these scrapes and scratches. They make me look..."

"Old?" laughed Peter Sam. "Clumsy?" added Rusty, cheekily.

"They make you look like a really useful engine," said Skarloey. "That needs..." began Rheneas, "a new coat of paint," he and Skarloey finished in unison and then they both started chuckling.

Then Thomas arrived. "Skarloey, I've asked all my friends. We're sure there is nothing an engine could do that is bad enough to be sent away from Sodor."

"Thomas, have you talked to the other engines about Luke?" Skarloey asked sternly.

"No," said Thomas. "I told you I wouldn't do that. I'm trying to help Luke. I want to be his friend." From inside the tunnel, steam swirled and two eyes watched.

"Very well, Thomas," sighed Skarloey. "Huff along now." As Thomas moved on, Skarloey reversed. Thomas came up beside Rocky. He was still hauling the stone…and Skarloey was closing in.

"Rocky, watch out! Stop, Skarloey!" he whistled. Skarloey came to a halt right behind the stone and whistled with alarm.

"Whoa! Sorry, Skarloey. Oh, that was close!" exclaimed Rocky.

"Fenders and Fireboxes…Oh, thank you, Thomas!" gasped Skarloey.

"Happy to help, Skarloey," said Thomas.

"You saved me from losing my cab! You are a good friend."

Thomas smiled and that made all the other engines…and Luke smile at Thomas. He gained enough confidence to finally puff out of his hiding place. As Thomas went on with his work, he caught a glimpse of the green engine and now had a chance to talk with him.

"Oh. Hello, Luke," said Thomas.

Luke smiled lightly. "Hello, Thomas. I'm sorry I hid from you. I didn't know you and I was scared…but now…well, I wonder, would you be my friend?"

"I'd like that, Luke," beamed Thomas. "I'd like that very much." Thomas and his new friend worked well together.

"Ready Thomas!" Luke called from the top of the slate pile.

"Ready and waiting, Luke," Thomas called from below. Luke and Thomas were both really useful engines. Luke felt much better having a new friend to work with. As time passed, Luke and Thomas seemed to be working better and better on the quarry. A good deal of slate was arranged and sorted into different lines of trucks.

Suddenly, the quarry echoed with the sound of a very strange horn. Luke darted away again. It was Winston. This time, he was carrying the Thin Controller and the Fat Controller.

"Whoa! Uh! Hello, Thomas," said the Fat Controller after Winston managed to stop. "I have news for you. Paxton is now fixed."

"Thank you for your work, Thomas," said the Thin Controller. "Paxton will now take over again."

"And you will return to your Branch Line," concluded the Fat Controller before bumping and bouncing away in Winston.

"Yes sir," said Thomas in a disappointed manner. Thomas was sad. He wanted to stay with Luke, but he couldn't now. "Luke? Please puff out," he called into the tunnel. "You don't have to hide from me. We're friends now."

Luke came out again. "Why do you keep hiding Luke?" Thomas asked with concern. "Skarloey told me that you are scared you will be sent away from Sodor. I'm sure you won't be."

"But Thomas…" Luke said gravely. "I did something very bad."

"I've done bad things too, Luke," reassured Thomas. "We all have. Once I steamed past a danger sign and fell into a mine…and I'm still here!"

Thomas and Luke were so busy talking, that they didn't notice Paxton had come back to the quarry.

"I'll tell you what I did, Thomas…but no one else must know," said Luke.

"I promise, Luke. Don't worry," said Thomas.

"A long time ago, I was sent to Sodor to work at the Blue Mountain Quarry. My boiler bubbled with excitement. It was my dream to work on Sodor. There was a yellow engine on the boat. He came from far away, and he spoke a different language…a language I couldn't understand."

_"A different language?"_ Thomas thought. He had never heard any language other than English on his island. _"Who could this be?"_ His thoughts were interrupted as Luke continued…

"A storm was coming in. The sea was rough, but I was happy. I could see Sodor. I couldn't wait to be lifted onto the rails. At Brendam Docks, there was hustle and bustle. Cranes clanked, dock men shouted. The men wanted to lift the yellow engine off. But I wanted to be the first off the boat. 'Take me off first! Please, please!' I said. The dock men agreed and I was happy…but then…" Luke stopped, looking frightened again.

"What, Luke?" asked Thomas.

"I knocked the yellow engine…into the sea." Paxton gasped with alarm.

"How?!" gasped Thomas. "I just bumped into him and sent him splashing into the sea! The sound was terrible! I had to go to the Steamworks to be fixed. I heard the storm thunder outside…but I could only think about the yellow engine and the sea."

Thomas had never heard a story like this. Hearing Hiro's story was exciting as Hiro came from across the sea and had a Japanese history, but hearing about an engine falling into the sea was very shocking for Thomas…He gravely remembered when he went missing on the sea and felt a twinge of fear as he remembered how scared he was of being doomed on sea. Luke spoke again.

"By the time they lifted him out, He was rusty and ruined. The yellow engine was never seen again. He might have been taken to the Smelters yards! He couldn't be really useful anymore!" Paxton gasped again as he listened. "And it was all because I wanted to go first. It was my fault. If I had waited my turn, Thomas, I would never had knocked him into the sea." Luke concluded.

"But Luke, that was a long time ago," said Thomas.

"I'm still scared, Thomas. My Narrow Gauge friends know I'm here, but I'm sure if the other engines find me, they'll tell Mr. Percival and he'll tell the Fat Controller. And they'll both send me away from Sodor forever."

Then Skarloey whistled and spoke up. "Come along, Paxton! What are you standing there for?" he asked. "Get those wheels whirring!"

"Paxton?" said Thomas.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Luke as he went back into hiding. Paxton coupled up to a slate train just as Thomas spoke again. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh. Uh…H-hello, Thomas," said Paxton. "I've, uh…I…I've come to take slate to the docks. That's my job again. The Fat Controller told me." He chuckled nervously as he slowly reversed with a honk of his horn. "Excuse me."

"Luke? Luke! Please come out to say goodbye," said Thomas. But Luke didn't come out and he didn't say goodbye. Luke was scared and Thomas knew why.

"I'm sorry, Luke. I have to go back to my branch line now," Thomas continued. "But I will come back! Remember Luke: I AM your friend!"

As Thomas chuffed out of the Blue Mountain Quarry, he knew he had to help his new friend Luke. He had helped Emily get over her worst days of her life, he helped Hiro, the Master of the Railway come back to business and now he was not going to give up on a friend who was scared and needed help.

Although he had Luke in his deep thoughts, Thomas did gain a ray of happiness. At least he could work more on his branch line and the main line…and he would be with Emily much more often now. Thomas smiled as he looked forward to seeing her again.

* * *

Emily was refilling on water at a tower. She was thinking about Thomas and what he was talking about the other night, then she heard a familiar whistle.

"Thomas?" she whistled back. Sure enough, Thomas came down the track and stopped right by her. Seeing her lovely form summoned a happy and slightly relieved smile to his face.

"Hello, dear," he said. "I'm back like I promised."

Emily smiled too. "Hello, cutie," she replied. "How was work at the Blue Mountain Quarry today?"

Thomas chuckled at hearing "cutie." He liked hearing that from the engine he loved so much. "It was rather exciting at the quarry. I saved Skarloey from a collision with Rocky's load and he told me I'm a true friend."

"Well, he's correct, Thomas," said Emily. "You are a true friend…and my best friend ever." But then a question came to her mind.

"Uh…Thomas…why did you ask us about the worst things an engine could do?" she asked.

Thomas didn't like keeping secrets from his angel, but he still couldn't tell her about Luke. He had to say something though.

"It's a little complicated, Emily," he said. "But I promise, I'll tell you everything when I can."

For Emily, a promise was all that mattered. "OK, Thomas. I trust you."

By now, the sun was starting to disappear. Thomas wanted to make Emily happy now that he could work more on the main line.

"Emily, why don't I give you a ride back to the yards?" he volunteered.

"How?" she asked.

"I can push or pull you."

Emily felt touched by this offer. Having Thomas as a gentleman was a wonderful thing. She said, "Yes. I'd really like that."

Thomas switched to Emily's line and came forwards. What he didn't know was that workmen had put grease on the rails to help prevent rust. Thomas slid along the greasy rails and bumped hard into Emily. He bumped so closely that their noses touched and Thomas bounced back an inch or two.

"Oh! S-sorry," he said nervously.

"It was just a nudge," Emily chuckled softly.

Thomas and Emily began to blush a little but calmed down pretty quickly. Some memories of the washdown came back to both of them as they once again realized how close they came. Thomas was then coupled up to Emily and gently pulled her along the line. Once they were switched to the main line, Thomas shunted Emily on the way home to Tidmouth Sheds.

As they went along, Emily was once again spellbound by Thomas' strength…even more so since she had a little difficulty pulling him to the coal hopper at the quarry. Just the fact that he could move someone as big as her and bigger than himself was very intriguing. Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath and sighed happily. When Thomas heard this sound, his boiler bubbled excitedly. Emily started to talk aloud to herself, not paying attention to her surroundings.

"Oh, Thomas," she said. "You're so strong…bold and generous…" and she sighed again. Thomas loved the sound of Emily's voice. As he listened to her talking aloud, he began to focus solely on her voice. It was very beautiful, like the most beautiful woman's voice, only her's was impossibly beautiful…

At Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas and Emily backed into their berths beside each other. Emily was feeling a little shy after what she said earlier on the way home.

"Uh…Thomas?" She said in a shy manner.

"Yes, Emily?"

"Thank you for giving me a ride…You really are strong...like a knight."

Thomas turned slightly red. "Uh…t-thank you, Emily. I just want to keep making you happy," he said.

"Well, goodnight, Thomas," Emily smiled.

"Goodnight, Emily," replied Thomas. As they both fell asleep, they both started to see something in their minds…

_Emily was standing on her own little track. It was a fine spring day and she was waiting for Thomas. Soon she heard an engine coming towards her. She whistled and waited for a response…she heard Thomas whistle back. Then she heard him speak._

_"Emily, close your eyes! I have something for you…" he said._

_"For me?" asked Emily. "What is it?"_

_"Wait and see. I'm coming right up," replied Thomas. So Emily closed her eyes and waited. She could hear Thomas coming closer and closer until he stopped right in front of her. She could hear footsteps of his driver and fireman. Then she felt them climbing onto her running plate. She could feel them putting something on and around her._

_Then she heard Thomas whisper very faintly. "Get the mirror ready." She heard the crew step down and away, then Thomas said aloud, "OK, Emily…open your eyes."_

_Emily did so and gasped immediately. As she looked into the mirror Thomas' driver was holding, she saw…flowers! Flowers were decorated all over her front. Yellow buttercups on her buffers, white daisies on her lamp iron, blue forget-me-nots clinging elegantly around her smokebox and much to her joy…red roses around her funnel. She started to cry softly at how absolutely beautiful she looked with all those flowers._

_"T-Thomas…" she sobbed happily. "You…you gave me flowers…"_

_"Because you're my best friend, Emily...actually more than a best friend…I love you…" And Thomas gently buffered to her and gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek. Emily was so happy, she squealed in response._

_"Oh, Thomas!" she said joyfully. "You're so sweet, meaningful and kind! You've done so much for me…I…I love you! I love you, Thomas!" Then Emily buffered up and kissed Thomas all over his face. When she finally stopped to catch her breath, Thomas' cheeks were covered in little lip-marks. He blushed deeply and Emily giggled happily._

_"You're beautiful, Emily…" Thomas said. "But the flowers make you look like the most beautiful goddess ever…"_

_"Aww, thank you, Thomas!" Emily cried. "I love you!" And as she began kissing Thomas again, he kissed her gently and replied, "I love you too…" But then reality started to pull at both their feelings…_

Thomas woke up to find it was still late at night and Emily was still asleep beside him. Thomas felt like screaming in frustration but didn't want to wake her.

_"Oh, come on! Why must we ALWAYS wake up?!"_ he thought to himself before resuming his sleep. Emily woke up herself and when she looked at Thomas, still in his berth, a tear escaped her eye. _"Oh…I just want it to be real! I kissed his cheek…why can't I kiss him like I really want to?"_ she thought before she too resumed her sleep. Thomas woke up again to check on Emily. When he saw the tear trail on her cheek, he felt very bad. He had a feeling she was dreaming something too. He turned round on the turntable to her berth and buffered up to her.

Emily felt this motion and opened her eyes once again. "Thomas…why are you over here again?" she yawned.

"I saw a tear on your face, sweetie," Thomas whispered. "Are you OK?"

"I guess so," whispered Emily. "I just had this wonderful dream…I…we...oh, it's hard to remember. I might tell you someday."

"Very well," said Thomas. "Would you like me to sleep here with you again, so you'll feel content and peaceful?"

This made Emily feel much better. If he liked sleeping right by her, that gave her the impression that he really liked her. "Yes, Thomas. Thank you," she smiled. So Thomas buffered a little closer so his nose was touching her's and they both slept on through the night.

The next morning, Thomas once again woke up first to see Emily fast asleep with a smile on her face. That was a beautiful sight for Thomas to see first thing in the morning. His nose was still touching her's and he held his position so she'd still feel he was there. Sometime later, she woke up and saw Thomas looking right into her eyes. She smiled happily and blushed lightly.

"Good morning, Thomas," she murmured.

"Good morning, beautiful," Thomas replied. "Well, I'll be on the main line more often now. We won't be missing each other as much," he joked.

"No, perhaps not," Emily smirked. "I'll be much happier now."

"Well, we'd best get going," said Thomas. "Annie and Clarabel will be waiting for me." And he went off to find them while Emily smiled at him then went on her way to the docks.

* * *

On Thomas' Branch Line, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, but Thomas wasn't smiling. He was too busy thinking about Luke. He may have been back on the main line with his friends…and Emily, but being separated from Luke made his mind wonder a lot.

"Clattering Carriages! Slow down! Stop!" called Annie and Clarabel. But Thomas was so busy thinking, he didn't watch the red signal! "We've overrun the signal, Thomas!" called Clarabel. Thomas stopped very quickly and reversed carefully. "Oh! I'm sorry. Silly me," he said.

"Silly you, clever us," replied the coaches.

Then Thomas saw Toby. "Thank you for helping out on my branch line, Toby," he said.

"Happy to help, Thomas," replied Toby.

"Could you help me again?" asked Thomas. "I'm happy to help again, Thomas, but I am a little busy."

"Please?" pleaded Thomas. "I have to do something very important." So Thomas was uncoupled from Annie. "Thank you, Toby!" he whistled as he puffed away. "Where are you going? What are you doing?" asked the coaches. "When will you be back?" asked Toby. But Thomas was already too far away to hear. Toby rang his bell to no avail, then went back to the coaches.

"Oh dear. Come on then, Annie and Clarabel. Let's get to work." And Toby set off again.

"We're right behind you, Toby!" laughed the coaches.

Thomas had an idea. "Maybe I can find that yellow engine. Maybe I can find out what really happened!" he said. "An engine can't just disappear!" So Thomas looked all over Sodor for the yellow engine. He searched at Knapford Station, he searched the shunting yards, he searched on all the coastal tracks, and he even searched at the rubbish dump. But he found no yellow engine. Then some time later, Thomas saw Edward waiting at a signal.

"Hello, Thomas," said Edward. Thomas wondered if Edward could help at all. "Edward, I'm looking for an old yellow engine. Have you seen one?"

At first, Edward nearly said Molly, but then suddenly recalled she wasn't old. So he said, "No, Thomas. I haven't. You could try the Dieselworks."

"Thank you, Edward. I will," whistled Thomas. "Thomas!" called Edward. "Why are you looking for an old yellow engine?" But once more, Thomas was already too far away to hear.

* * *

At the entrance to the Dieselworks, Thomas looked for a yellow engine. There were lots of engine parts, but none of them were yellow. And then, Thomas heard something that made his boiler run cold.

"And that's when Luke knocked the yellow engine into the sea! And the yellow engine was never seen again!"

Paxton was telling Devious Diesel all about Luke!

"You are right to tell me, Paxton," oiled Diesel. "We don't want an engine like that on our island. He could knock one of us into the sea next. It could be you."

"Oh my!" gasped Paxton. "We'll find the Fat Controller, and he'll tell the Thin Controller. And together, they'll make sure Luke leaves Sodor forever."

Thomas dashed away as quickly as he could…alerting Diesel. "Who's there?!" he hissed. "Thomas! We must hurry, Paxton. Thomas is a tricky tank engine. Whatever he's doing, we must be there before him." And Diesel oiled away.

"Oh my," breathed Paxton.

Thomas was still wondering and worrying. "I don't know where else to look. Someone must know what happened to the yellow engine…maybe somebody at Brendam Docks! Somebody like Cranky!" and Thomas whistled on his way. Thomas raced into Brendam Docks, right past Emily as she shunted a train into one of the sheds.

_"Whoa, Thomas!"_ she thought. _"What's all this about?"_

Thomas' pistons pumped. "Cranky, I need your help!" he called up to the crane. "Do you remember a yellow engine that fell in the sea?"

"I'm busy," Cranky said abruptly as he loaded a crate into a freighter ship. Emily overheard Thomas and Cranky and listened closely.

"Please Cranky," said Thomas. "This is important."

"Lots of things are important, Thomas," replied Cranky. But Thomas was determined. "Cranky, did you lift a yellow engine out of the sea?"

"Maybe I did," Cranky cranked. "Where did he go, Cranky?" asked Thomas.

Thomas' questions were making Cranky cross. "All I can remember was that his light was broken, and I couldn't understand a word he said!"

Emily was very puzzled. "What is Thomas trying to find out?" she whispered. "Please don't be Molly!"

"So w-" Thomas' question was interrupted by a diesel-honk.

"Cinders and Ashes! What are you doing here, Diesel?"

"I'm looking for the Fat Controller," said Diesel. "Where is he, Cranky?"

"I'm busy! How should I know? What's this? 'Ask Cranky Day'?!" Cranky cranked. Suddenly an idea flew into Thomas' funnel. "Of course…thank you, Cranky!"

"I'm sorry, Thomas. I didn't mean to," called Paxton. But Thomas was already thundering down the tracks. He passed James at quite a speed.

"Slow down, Thomas! Where are you huffing so fast?" called James.

"The Steamworks!"

"Why, Thomas?!"

"Where else would you take a rusty engine?" Some way behind Thomas, Emily was following him. She wanted to know what Thomas was trying to figure out and why this was so important to him…

* * *

Thomas rushed over to the Steamworks. Emily followed closely and waited outside as Thomas rushed in.

"Hello, Thomas," called Kevin as he bumped off a wheel and fell on his side.

"Kevin!" called Victor, rolling his eyes. "Sorry, boss!"

From outside, Emily was listening to as much as she could.

"Victor," said Thomas. "Do you remember fixing a yellow engine that fell into the sea? He spoke a different language."

Victor exclaimed, "Boiling Boilers!" …but in another language…Spanish. When Emily heard the Spanish, she was surprised and puzzled. "I didn't know Victor could speak beyond English," she whispered.

"What did you say?" Thomas saw Victor's wide eyes. "Cinders and Ashes! It was YOU, Victor! YOU were the engine that fell into the sea!"

"You are right, Thomas," said Victor, in English again. "It was me."

"Please tell me what happened," said Thomas. From outside, Emily was now thinking hard. "What does Victor have to do with all this mystery?" she asked.

"I have never spoken about this, Thomas," said Victor. "It was a long time ago. Far away in my country, I was told they needed me to work on Sodor. They said I could be really useful. The ship was big. We sailed many seas over many days. Before we reached Sodor, we made a stop and a small green engine joined me on the deck."

Back then, Victor asked the green engine in Spanish, _"Hello. Where are you going? Are you going to Sodor?"_

"We didn't speak the same language," Victor explained to Thomas. "But I could see that he was excited. As we sailed into Sodor, a storm gathered. The skies darkened, the waves rolled, and with one big wave, the chains holding my wheels broke! I was no longer held to the deck. I was in danger!"

_"Take me off first! Please, Please!"_ called Luke.

_"I have a problem!"_ Victor called in Spanish.

"I called to the crew, but they didn't understand me. So they did nothing to help me. A crane lifted the excited green engine first. He swayed to the end of the hook and bumped into me! I could do nothing. There were no chains to stop me then, SPLASH! I slid into the sea. Luckily, I landed on a jetty, but my firebox was soaked. And because the weather was so bad, I was left there, in the sea for a long, long time. When I was finally rescued, I was in a terrible mess."

Emily could not believe what she was hearing. Why didn't Victor ever tell anyone this? This was an astonishing story…almost as much as Hiro's story back when he was still in his siding.

"You must have been very frightened," said Thomas.

"Yes," said Victor. "It was scary…but the scariest thing of all was that no one understood me."

"So what did you do?" asked Thomas.

Victor grinned. "I learned your language. My first word was 'Red'."

"Why red?" asked Thomas.

"Because, my friend, after they brought me to the Steamworks and repaired me, I had to be repainted. And red was the colour I chose…a bright, new colour for my bright, new life on Sodor."

"Of course!" said Thomas. "When Luke bumped into you, you rolled into the sea because you weren't chained! It was an accident! And you weren't sent to the smelters yard. You were repaired! I must tell Luke right away! Thank you, Victor! Thank you for telling me!"

"Thomas! Who is Luke? Was he the little green engine?!" Thomas was too excited to listen…and too excited to notice Emily. After he disappeared down the track, Emily came inside the Steamworks and approached Victor carefully.

"Victor…" she said. "Why didn't you tell us? You never spoke about what happened to you!"

Victor stared at Emily with a serious look. "I meant to move on after such a thing happened…and it seems I didn't want to worry any friends," he said.

"And who is this Luke?" asked Emily. Victor couldn't answer because Thomas had run off.

* * *

Meanwhile, Thomas was tearing along the line. "Now I know the whole story! Now I know what really happened! Luke won't have to hide anymore." But then he gasped. "Cinders and ashes!"

Thomas saw Diesel. Diesel was talking to the Fat Controller. "Paxton told me all about him, sir. He's hiding somewhere at the quarry. He pushes engines into the sea! He's a danger to us all. He has to go."

"Enough, Diesel!" snapped the Fat Controller. "I don't know what you are talking about! What I do know is that Mavis needs fixing, and no one is helping her! Please shunt her to the Dieselworks for repair, immediately!"

"But sir…" Diesel began.

"Now, Diesel!"

Diesel blew his horn and buffered up to Mavis. "Thank you, Diesel. You're very kind," smirked Mavis.

"That was lucky," whispered Thomas. After Diesel set off down the track with Mavis, the Fat Controller turned to the other diesel. "And Paxton, I don't know why you are following Diesel about! You should be working at the quarry!"

"Of course, sir. I-I'm sorry sir…sorry…" stammered Paxton. "And I should be working on my branch line…but I have to see Luke first" said Thomas.

The Fat Controller then went off bumping and bouncing along in Winston.

"Oh my," Thomas breathed as he came out into the sun and sped along down the line, while Paxton watched and worried.

Thomas' wheels whirred on the tracks. He had to get to the Blue Mountain Quarry before Diesel. He had to tell Luke what really happened to the yellow engine. He saw James up ahead with a log train.

"Hello again, Thomas," called James.

"Sorry, James. Can't stop. Bye!" called Thomas as he raced past. James was surprised. "For a tank engine, he really can be quite fast," he said to no one in particular.

Thomas hurried into the Blue Mountain Quarry. Rheneas and Skarloey were still discussing paint.

"But Skarloey, I've been bumped again! Now I have to be repainted!"

"And you have to stop bumping into things, Rheneas," laughed Skarloey. Then Thomas arrived. "Hello, Thomas!"

"Where's Luke?" asked Thomas. "Hello, Thomas," called Luke as he whistled up beside Thomas.

"Luke, I have wonderful news for you!" said Thomas. "I talked to Victor. He told me what happened when you were being unloaded form the ship! He's…"

"WHAT did you do?!" hissed Skarloey. Thomas had given him a promise not to speak to anyone about Luke and now he felt betrayed.

"I…I talked to Victor," stammered Thomas. "You talked to Victor!" exclaimed Luke. "Yes, but…" began Thomas.

"We told you not to talk to the other engines!" said Skarloey.

"And you have," chuffed Rheneas.

"We thought you were our friend!" wheeshed Peter Sam.

"I thought you were MY friend!" accused Luke to Thomas.

"But you're NOT!" they all exclaimed together and they started to puff off…

"Please, wait!" called Thomas. "It's not what you think!" Suddenly, Diesel's horn echoed around the Blue Mountain Quarry. He could see Luke retreating back to his hiding tunnel.

"Is that him?!" said Diesel. "Are you the engine who pushes other engines into the sea? I've heard all about you!"

The Narrow Gauge engines rattled away from Thomas, Diesel and Paxton on the upper terraces of the quarry. "Don't listen to Diesel! Let me explain!" pleaded Thomas.

"NO, Thomas! Don't explain anything! We can see what you've done!" scolded Skarloey.

"Go away, Thomas!" huffed Sir Handel.

"Go back to your branch line!" added Peter Sam. Rheneas said nothing.

"Luke! Don't chuff away from me!" Thomas called as he saw the engine run along the upper track. "Please listen!"

"I don't want to listen to you! Ever again!" shouted Luke as he took off into another tunnel. Thomas knew that his Narrow Gauge friends thought he had let him down. They thought Thomas had let Luke down. That was worst of all. Thomas felt terrible.

"Now, The Fat Controller and the Thin Controller will sort your little friend out once and for all." laughed Diesel. Skarloey was still avoiding Thomas when Rusty loaded another train onto Owen's incline.

Luke was on the bridge above when he heard Thomas' whistle again. "Luke!" he called as he puffed away from Diesel.

"Thomas! What are you doing?!" Diesel roared.

Thomas huffed hastily up to Rocky. "Rocky! Please, lift me onto Owen's platform! I HAVE to talk to Luke!"

"Well, I don't know," said Rocky. "Please, Rocky!" pleaded Thomas. "OK. If you say so. But hold tight, Thomas."

"Thomas!" growled Diesel. "What are you doing Thomas? You're too heavy for my platform!" called Owen.

"I need you to pull me up, Owen! I need to talk to Luke! I know you can do it! You're strong. Try your hardest!" called Thomas.

"OK, Thomas," said Owen, hesitantly. "Going up. Next stop, the top of the hill!" Tug by tug, and turn by turn, Owen started to pull Thomas up the incline towards Luke.

Diesel's voice rang through the air again. "Come down, Luke! Thomas can't help you! We now what you've done! And what you did was bad! You'll have to leave Sodor. The Fat Controller will make sure of that!"

"Don't listen to him, Luke! I know what really happened! You didn't do anything wrong!" cried Thomas.

"Nonsense Thomas! Paxton, go and find the Fat Controller. Tell him to come here!"

"Oh my," said Paxton. He didn't feel safe obeying commands from Diesel. He had heard about his devious deeds of the past.

"No, Paxton. Luke needs your help! Race to the Steamworks and tell Victor to come!" shouted Thomas. "Oh my…oh my!" shivered Paxton.

"GO!" ordered Diesel. Reluctantly, Paxton set on his way. But even as he left the Blue Mountain Quarry, he made a decision.

"I won't listen to Devious Diesel!" he said aloud to himself. "I'll help Luke. He needs it!" So Paxton went to the Steamworks.

"Too bad, Thomas!" Diesel called up. "You can't help your little friend now!"

"Yes I CAN, Diesel!" Thomas retorted. "Owen, you did it! Well done!"

"Top floor, upper terrace! Boulder Drop and Blondin Bridge!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Victor was surprised to see a diesel at the Steamworks.

"Paxton! What are you doing here?"

"Come with me, Victor," said Paxton. "To the Blue Mountain Quarry. Luke needs our help!"

"Luke? Of course!" said Victor. Workmen hauled Victor onto a flatbed and Paxton set off to get back to the quarry.

* * *

"Luke! Luke!" Back at the Blue Mountain Quarry, Thomas tried to race off to find Luke, but then there was trouble. His wheels were too big for the Narrow Gauge tracks. "Oh dear!" called Owen. Thomas bumped and scraped along the ground into a weak pair of buffers. The buffers gave way and now, like Diesel and the Jobi-wood, Thomas was half-on and half-off the edge of the cliff. Horrific memories flooded back to him as he remembered 'Arry and Bert trying to take revenge on him. All he could think of was how Emily would take the news if he did fall off! Thomas was in danger.

"HELP! HELP!" he shrieked. Luke heard the shouts and conflicted over himself for a few seconds. He did feel betrayed because Thomas spoke to other engines of him, but he could hear the fear and peril in Thomas' voice. So he raced back to the ledge.

"Watch out, Thomas!" shouted Diesel. "He's gonna push YOU off now! Just like he did with that yellow engine!"

"Oh no!" cried Thomas. Everyone waited. Everyone watched Luke.

"Thomas!" called Luke. "Thomas, don't worry. I'll pull you back to Owen. Just trust me. I can do this. Trust me, I'm your friend!" A chain was anchored from Luke to Thomas. Luke struggled and strained but Thomas' weight was beginning to pull him down too!

"Trembling Tracks!" wailed Thomas.

"Hold on, Thomas!" strained Luke. He found his strength and pulled as hard as he could. With the biggest puff he had ever huffed, Luke pulled Thomas back onto firm ground.

"Thank you, Luke!" called Thomas. Luke felt strong. Stronger than he had ever been. The engines whistled and cheered. "Well done, Luke!" called Skarloey. Even Merrick woke up. "Very well done! To all of you!"

"Thank you, Luke!" called Thomas. "It's alright, Thomas!" But Luke wasn't unchained from Thomas yet! Thomas had begun to slant down the incline again, taking Luke with him! Owen was surprised. "Steady…next stop…you're too heavy!" Luke fell down after Thomas. Then the two engines sped and scraped down the incline. Sparks showered from Luke's wheels and Thomas hollered with alarm. At last they both crashed at the bottom of the incline.

"Fizzling Fireboxes!" exclaimed Thomas. But then everyone started laughing. "Oh, yes. Superb!" called Owen. "Marvelous!" whistled Skarloey.

Suddenly, all the engines heard the strangest sound. Winston bumped and jumped into the quarry with the Fat Controller and Thin Controller. The Fat Controller was cross.

"What is going on? Thomas, whatever are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry, sir. I…"

"I told you to work on your branch line, but you're not! Toby is!"

Thomas tried to speak again, but was cut off. "Rocky, bring those engines down from the unloading platform," ordered the Thin Controller.

"Yes sir, right away sir," said Rocky.

Then Diesel spoke up. "I can explain sir. This engine there is called Luke. He's a bad engine. He knocked the yellow engine into the sea. Thomas has been hiding him here." The Fat Controller stared. First at Luke, and then at Thomas.

"It's not like that, sir!" he called. Then he heard Paxton's horn. "Paxton! You brought Victor!"

"Victor? What are YOU doing here?"

"Sir, I have come to meet an engine I have not seen for a very long time. His name is Luke."

"Victor, this is Luke."

"Hello, Luke, my friend," murmured Victor. "It's been a very long time. You didn't push me, Luke…I slipped off the boat. My wheel-chains were broken. It was an accident. It WASN'T your fault."

Luke was very confused. "But…it can't be you. You're not a yellow engine…and you don't speak a different language."

Victor knew he had to prove a point. So, in Spanish, he spoke: "Good morning, Luke. My name is Victor. It is a pleasure to see you." When Luke heard this, he gasped. "That's the language!"

"That's right, my friend," said Victor, in English.

"But the engine on the boat with me was yellow," said Luke.

"That's very true," answered Victor. "I was yellow. But I was painted red when Sir Topham Hatt had me repaired."

"You didn't go to the smelter's yard!" gasped Luke.

"No. I stayed at the Steamworks. That's where I work. Come down to visit me. You can get a coat of paint, a polish, a brush…you will be a new engine." Luke beamed. And for the first time, in a long, long time, Luke was happy.

"Speaking of paint, Victor, I've been talking to Skarloey about being repainted," called Rheneas.

"Ahem, not now, Rheneas," said Skarloey. He was now getting tired of the constant talking about paint.

"Luke, I'm very happy to meet you," said the Thin Controller. "At last, welcome to my railway."

"It seems, Diesel," said the Fat Controller sternly. "You were wrong! You did NOT find out the WHOLE story, before you caused confusion and delay! It is always important to find out what really happened, because what really happened is what really matters."

"Yes…sir…" admitted Diesel quietly.

"Today is a very happy day," said the Fat Controller, in a much brighter manner. "For Mr. Percival and all his engines."

"Thomas has made it a happy day, sir," smiled Luke. "He's my hero. He's my friend."

"Well done, Thomas. I am proud of you!" beamed the Fat Controller.

"Thank you, sir!" said Thomas.

"And that is why I will forgive you for not working on your branch line," said the Fat Controller, slightly joking.

"Yes sir, thank you sir," replied Thomas.

"Mr. Percival, we must be very proud of all our engines."

"Indeed. Very proud indeed. New ones and old ones. You are all Really Useful Engines." And no engines whistled louder than Thomas and Luke.

* * *

At last, the Blue Mountain Quarry was back in business. All the Narrow Gauge Engines gathered round and apologized to Thomas for the misunderstanding. But Thomas didn't mind. Skarloey admitted that hiding the story was a silly idea but was still happy for Luke. All the engines whistled goodbye as Thomas went back to his branch line. Annie and Clarabel were very pleased to have Thomas back and Toby was happy to be with Henrietta again.

Later that day, Thomas stopped at a station and saw Emily. He was happy to see her again…and now he could tell her everything safely.

"Hello, Emily," he said pleasantly.

"Hello, Thomas," she smiled. "You're looking fine and good."

"Thank you," said Thomas. Then, Emily remembered… "Thomas, I didn't get a chance to find out from Victor…who is Luke?"

Thomas was a little surprised. "Why do you ask?"

"I heard you talking to Victor at the Steamworks earlier. I followed you to find out what was going on…I heard that he fell into the sea…he was yellow…and he spoke Spanish!"

Thomas knew he could now reveal the secrets. "Well, Emily. I made a promise to you that I would explain everything…now I can. The reason I asked all of you what the worst thing an engine could do was because I met a new and interesting engine at the Blue Mountain Quarry. His name is Luke…and he thought he had done something very bad. He thought he knocked Victor into the sea because he wanted to be unloaded from his ship first."

Emily was amazed. "So that's why you asked us that question a few nights ago?" she asked.

"Yes. That's why, Emily," Thomas said as he continued. "And you know the real story from Victor…but it was all an accident."

Emily was absolutely enthralled by this story. She wanted to meet this engine. "Thomas…could you introduce me to Luke?"

"Of course, Emily," Thomas promised. "I'll take you there this evening." It was agreed. Thomas and Emily completed their jobs in good time and met in the yards.

"Ready to go, milady?" Thomas asked playfully.

Emily giggled lightly. "Ready for anything, little knight." Thomas chuckled too as they headed for the Blue Mountain Quarry. Luke was sitting pleasantly by himself on his own little track. The other engines were still happy over the recent events and how much happier Luke now felt. Soon, Luke heard Thomas' whistle.

"Luke?" called Thomas. "Hello, Thomas," said Luke. Thomas slowed down and smiled impressively.

"Luke…I'd like you to meet a very special friend of mine. I think you'll really like her."

"Her?" asked Luke. "Yes," said Thomas. He came forward and into Luke's view came Emily. Luke was stunned by her appearance. He thought she looked like a queen, just like Thomas thought.

"Hello…I'm Luke," he said quietly.

"Hello, Luke. I'm Emily," said the emerald engine. "I've been very eager to see you."

"I…I didn't think there were female engines," whispered Luke.

"Well, there are," chuckled Emily. "I'm not the only one. There are others…Mavis, Molly, Rosie and I'm sure there are a few others."

"Well…you're beautiful, Emily," said Luke. "Thomas says you're a very special friend."

"Oh, he is, Luke," smiled Emily. "He's done so much for me. I feel closer to him every day…I'm sure you'll have a lovely friend one day too."

"You really think so?" asked Luke. "I know so," said Emily. "Just wait and you'll have her before you know it."

Luke really liked Emily. He found her to be very kind and sweet like she always was. After Thomas and Emily went on their way back to Tidmouth Sheds, Luke thought about his own chances of getting a friend. Being little as he was, he didn't know what love was, but something about Emily did give him a feeling he never felt before and he kept trying to figure out what it could be…

Meanwhile at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas told all the other engines about Luke and Victor's stories. All the engines were amazed by this.

"Victor? Spanish?" asked Henry.

"I never thought there was that much to him," said Edward.

As the other engines fell asleep, Thomas and Emily stayed up a little longer. "What did you think of Luke, Emily?" asked Thomas.

"He's very interesting indeed," said Emily. "He didn't look like any Narrow Gauge engine I've ever seen."

"Yes, he's different but really useful," Thomas replied. As the two engines gazed up at the stars and moon, a question came to Thomas.

"How often have we been doing this, Emily?"

Emily's eyes widened slightly with excitement. "I-I don't know, Thomas…but I like that we do this every now and then. I love stargazing…thank you."

"For what?" asked Thomas.

"For introducing me to stargazing. When I was still hurting all those years ago, you invited me to watch the night with you. I felt very happy that night. I'm still very thankful for never letting go of me."

"Well, I don't ever want to let go of you, Emily. I don't think Sodor was even Sodor before you came here," said Thomas. Emily blushed and giggled a lot.

"Aww, Thomas. You're so sweet. You really touch my heart," she murmured.

"So do you, Emily. You make my heart flutter with joy." The two engines chuckled happily together and spent a little longer looking at the night until they began to yawn softly.

"Want me to sleep with you, sweetie?" asked Thomas.

"He-he…I'd love that, Thomas," Emily giggled. Thomas went on the turntable and turned round. While he did, Emily looked at his back, with his red tail lamp, red lining and back buffers.

"Very cute," she whispered as she saw his face look at her and he softly buffered to her. She felt her boiler bubble excitedly as he touched his nose to hers.

"Goodnight, Thomas," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Emily…I'll protect you…" Thomas whispered as she fell asleep, sighing happily. Thomas whispered, "Sweet dreams, Queen Emily," as he fell asleep too, never letting go of the engine he loved so very much.

* * *

A few days later, Thomas went to the Steamworks. Luke was there with Victor. "Hello, Thomas," said Luke.

"Hello, Luke, hello, Victor."

"Hello, Thomas. I know you've been looking for a yellow engine. Well, I think I found him."

Thomas was confused and slightly worried at first…but then he saw that Victor made a joke. "Thomas…meet…the yellow engine."

"Hurrah!" called the yellow engine.

"Rheneas!" said all the engines.

"It's me!" laughed Rheneas. Thomas and the other engines laughed together.

"Well, Rheneas, you finally got your coat of paint!" joked Thomas.

Rheneas laughed too. Thomas was still very happy for Luke. First he had helped Emily overcome her fears, then he had helped Hiro become reinstated as Master of the Railway and now he had helped Luke overcome his own fears and be happy again. Now Thomas could truly stay on the main line more often and have much more time with his beloved Emily. He was sure he'd come even closer to her just like they gradually did so since he saved her.

* * *

Well, this took a while didn't it? Sorry about the delay but that's what happens when you write out a special, it takes a long time, and this chapter still isn't the longest in the story, I'd probably say it's the third longest but you guys probably don't care about that. So I have another new short story coming soon...I might have said something to the effect of not doing anymore of those for a while, but I can't help if I keep coming up with ideas. So yeah leave your reviews for this chapter and see you with the new story, "A Fragile Emerald."


	24. Emily's Winter Party Special

It was winter on the Island of Sodor. The fields were frosty, the tracks were icy and the wind whistled and wheeshed through the engine's wheels, but that didn't stop the engines smiling because it was a very special day.

Thomas, Henry and Emily were at Tidmouth Sheds, waiting for the Fat Controller.

Emily was feeling happy. Although it could be problem-raising, Emily loved the snow. It changed everything around her. "Winter is one of my favorite seasons," she said. "Snow just looks magical all around us."

"It certainly does, Emily," said Thomas. "It's a very different world. Snow can be troublesome, but if you're careful, it won't cause too much hassle."

"You call not wearing your snowplough no hassle?" Emily joked.

Thomas smirked. "I used to think that, but you helped me learn a little about snowploughs," he said. Emily smiled back. Then the Fat Controller arrived.

"Tonight is the night of the Sodor Winter Festival," said the Fat Controller. "I will choose one of you to be this year's party engine."

Emily was excited. Each year, the party engine was covered with lights. It delivered a train full of presents for the children. It was a very special "special."

"The job will be given to which ever engine is the most helpful today," said the Fat Controller. "Henry, you must pick up the Brass Band from Knapford Station. Thomas, you must collect the party cakes from the bakery."

"Yes sir," whistled Henry.

"Right away, sir," followed Thomas.

"Please, sir," said Emily "What should I do?"

"You must wait here, Emily. I will let you know if there's a job for you." Emily was very disappointed.

"It's not long to the party. And if I can't be helpful, I won't be chosen to pull the present train," she said sadly. Just then, a big gust of wind whooshed and whipped the Fat Controller's top hat from his head. He was surprised.

"My hat!" he exclaimed. "Come back! Oh dear, oh dear! I can't go to the party without my hat."

Suddenly, an Idea flew into Emily's funnel. "Oh! Please, sir, I'll find your hat. I am very good at finding things."

The Fat Controller thought this was a splendid idea. "Thank you, Emily. That would be very helpful. Very helpful indeed."

Emily was excited. Maybe she would pull the present train after all. So Emily huffed quickly away. Emily clickity-clacked along the track. As she looked for the hat, she suddenly got another idea…some of her friends might be happy for her that she was given the job to find the Fat Controller's hat.

"My friends will be very happy to hear my news. I must tell them first."

So Emily stopped looking for the Fat Controller's hat and started looking for her friends. Emily puffed up to a crossing. Some children were building a snowman nearby. They were having fun. The children waved at Emily and she smiled at the children. It touched her heart to know that children liked her. Then Thomas puffed up. He was pulling the party cakes and was happy to see Emily looking so pleased.

"Hello, Emily. You look pleased," he said.

"Hello, Thomas. The Fat Controller has sent me to look for his top hat. If I find it, he might make me the party engine."

"That would be much helpful than delivering party cakes," said Thomas. "Do you think you'll find it?"

"Of course. I'm Emily. I'm very good at finding things."

"Then you probably will be given the Winter Party Special," beamed Thomas.

"Yes! I probably will!" That made Emily's firebox fizz. "I must go and tell Henry my good news! Goodbye, Thomas!" So Emily puffed off along the track. Thomas was very excited. All he could think about was how beautiful she would look if she was chosen for the Winter Party Special.

* * *

Meanwhile, Emily was still looking for Henry, while also scanning all around herself for the hat. She couldn't see it anywhere. Because of the winter weather, the sun was now setting early. Emily continued on her way until she stopped a junction and saw Henry.

"Hello, Emily," said Henry. "I'm taking the Brass Band to the party. If I hurry, I might be chosen to pull the present train."

"Sorry, Henry. But I will probably be given that job," said Emily, trying not to brag.

"Oh…you must have been very helpful," said Henry, slightly surprised.

"I was…I mean, I will be. The Fat Controller has lost his top hat. I'm going to find it," announced Emily.

"Do you think you will? The sun is setting."

"Of course I will. I'm Emily. I will definitely find it."

"Then you will definitely get to pull the Present Train." Then Emily's signal went green and she set off again. "See you at the party, Emily!" Henry called. Emily wheeshed along the track. She was happy. She was sure that she would be given the Winter Party Special.

"I will be the star of the party!" she cheered. She was also excited to see how Thomas would react if he saw her. Soon, Emily reached the Steamworks. An idea popped in her piston.

"The sun has almost set…If I collect the Present Train now, it will save time later." So Emily chuffed cheerfully into the Steamworks. She thought this would be a useful way to get the presents to the children with less delay, but she was so excited about this job, she completely forgot about the Fat Controller's hat.

"Emily, my friend. What can I do for you?" asked Victor.

"I am the Winter Party Engine," said Emily. "I've come to collect the Present Train."

"Then you have come to the right place," announced Victor. "We will have you ready in no time!" So Emily was coupled up to the Present Train. Workmen decorated her with lights and holly. She looked wonderful.

"Perfect! Now you are ready for the party," said Victor.

Emily tingled from footplate to fender. She felt very excited about how Thomas would react if he saw her like this.

"You must have been very helpful to be given such a special 'special'." Said Victor. Emily suddenly remembered!

"Rattle my rods! I still need to find the Fat Controller's hat!" Emily puffed out of the Steamworks as fast as her wheels would whirr. But the sun had gone down. It was nighttime and it was very dark.

"Fizzling fireboxes! I shall never be able to find the top hat now," she said wearily. Then there was trouble. The Fat Controller arrived on Thomas. He looked cross. When Thomas saw Emily, he thought his boiler would burst, she looked so absolutely beautiful!

_"Cinders and ashes!"_ he thought. _"Emily looks like a goddess!"_ But his excitement was interrupted by the Fat Controller's stern voice.

"Emily, why are you decorated as the Party Engine? And where is my hat?" Emily felt terrible.

"I'm very sorry, sir. I thought I had been the most helpful engine, but I forgot to find your hat. I don't deserve to be the party engine," she said sadly. Thomas hated hearing Emily say things like that. He immediately remembered hearing her say she didn't deserve his help back when she was still suffering.

"Thomas, because you were so helpful delivering the party cakes, you may pull the Present Train," said the Fat Controller.

"Thank you, sir!" said Thomas, pretending to be optimistic. The Fat Controller looked back at the decorated engine.

"Emily, you must go back into the Steamworks, and have the decorations removed."

"Yes sir," said Emily meekly. Now Thomas felt very sorry for Emily. When he arrived and saw her, he thought she looked absolutely beautiful. The lights and presents were lovely, but his attention was mostly drawn into the red ribbon on her running plate. She looked just like a present…and the most beautifully wrapped present at that. In the Steamworks, all the lights and decorations were taken off Emily and hung on Thomas.

Thomas puffed proudly, pulling the Present Train. His lights sparkled, shimmered and shone. They lit up trees and hedges, fields and furrows, but Emily didn't notice. She was thinking about the Fat Controller's Hat.

_"It may be dark now,"_ she thought. _"But I HAVE to find that hat. It's the least I can do to make the Fat Controller happy."_

Thomas and Emily stopped at a crossing. Emily noticed that it was where she had met Thomas earlier. She looked at him and now she could see how he looked with the lights and presents. She thought he looked very cute and very handsome. She remembered happily when she helped give him a Christmas surprise for all his hard work in the snow many years ago, when he followed her around for the surprise.

Thomas looked and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Emily looking at him. A blush formed along his cheek and he looked away. Then Emily noticed something else.

"This is where the children were building their snowman," she said. Then she gasped. "Thomas, look!" And there, by the side of the tracks was the snowman. He had a carrot for a nose, a scarf wrapped around his neck, and sitting on top of his head, the Fat Controller's top hat.

"I found the Fat Controller's hat!" squealed Emily.

* * *

At the party, children laughed and played. They were having a wonderful time, but the Fat Controller wasn't happy. Just then, Thomas and Emily wheeshed into the Town Hall Square. The children cheered and cheered to see the Present Train.

"Please, sir," said Emily. "We have a present for you."

"For me?" asked the Fat Controller, when Emily's driver presented him round green box, like a hat box. When he opened it, he was delighted. "My hat! Welcome back, old friend." The Fat Controller smiled a big smile. "Thank you, Emily. You are indeed a very helpful engine."

Emily felt so proud, it made her boiler bubble. Henry came sometime later. The Brass Band proudly stepped off his train. The children gathered around the tree and listened to the Band play a merry tune for the start of winter.

Besides a different look, Emily also loved winter because it meant another special thing…Christmas would be along soon. Ever since she arrived on Sodor and even on her former railway, the Great Northern Railway, Christmas was her favorite holiday. Full of beauty, happiness and peace. But after meeting Thomas, she was sure she'd love Christmas even more.

After the party, Henry took the Brass Band home and the children went home with their parents.

"How was the party, Emily?" Thomas asked.

"Oh, it was lovely, Thomas," said Emily. "I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful winter." Then Thomas got an idea. He remembered how beautiful Emily looked with all those lights and the ribbon…

"Hey, Emily…you may have not gotten the Present Train…but would you like these decorations put back on you for tonight? You deserve them more than me."

Emily's heart fluttered excitedly. "Oh…y-yes please, Thomas. I'd love that."

"What are we waiting for?" said Thomas. The two engines went side-by side back to the Steamworks. Emily went onto the Steamworks turntable and turned round. Thomas looked over to Victor.

"Excuse me, Victor," he said. "I know Emily wasn't meant to take the Winter Party Special…but can she have the lights back on? I think she looked wonderful."

Victor thought for a moment…then answered. "Very well, my friend. It is the start of winter." So workmen took the lights off Thomas and placed them back on Emily. Once again, Emily was lit up and looking lovely again. Now Thomas could enjoy the pleasant look of this special engine.

"Gosh, Emily…you…you look very beautiful with those lights…" he whispered. "And that ribbon…it finishes the touch perfectly."

Emily giggled. "T-thank you, sweetie," she murmured. "I…I think you looked very cute wearing them earlier…you looked rather handsome with them."

Thomas chuckled lightly. Then he looked up and noticed something…

"Emily…what's that?" Emily looked up too. Hanging from one of the supporters in the air…a curling line of mistletoe.

"M…mistletoe," Emily whispered. Thomas was a little confused. "What's mistletoe, Emily?"

"It's a plant that grows on winter willows…in some parts of the world, it is considered a plant of peace…and some say when a man and woman are under mistletoe…they…k…"

Thomas and Emily fell silent and could feel themselves inching closer and closer…their buffers pressed into their housings, their eyes began to close, and their lips very slowly began to pucker…then…

"Hey boss! What's the plan tomorrow?!" rang a loud, rebellious voice, making Thomas and Emily jump back a few inches. It was Kevin, loudly exclaiming about Steamwork plans for the next day.

Victor shot a stern look at Kevin. "Not so loud," he grumbled. Then he turned to the two engines. "I'm so sorry you two. Please excuse me…"

Thomas was still in awe and frustration over what nearly happened and didn't reply.

Emily just stammered. "T-thanks, Victor. W-we just saw the…never mind," she gave up, frustrated over being interrupted again.

Thomas really wanted to give speed and bump Kevin off his wheels, but he didn't want to ruin any winter spirit. The decorations were taken off Emily again, which disappointed Thomas even more. He begrudgingly went on his way back to Tidmouth Sheds with Emily. As they left, Victor suddenly realized something. "Who put that mistletoe there in the first place? Kevin! Did you put that mistletoe up there?!"

"I don't even know what mistletoe is, boss! I can't even reach up there!" Kevin replied. "Well, who put it there then?" asked Victor to himself. It was probably a joke from one of the workmen, but had Thomas and Emily been successfully able to finish what they were about to do..."That would have been some Christmas present for the both of them for sure," Victor chuckled to himself.

What no one saw was that Rosie had followed Thomas and Emily since the party and had seen what had happened before Kevin ruined the peace. By now, Rosie was absolutely desperate. She had lost confidence since Thomas drifted off to Misty Island and now she knew she had nothing else to do except one thing.

"Alright…no more competing…I have to confront my fears and ask him straight out," she said to herself.

As Thomas and Emily went along their way, the moonlight cast an enchanting shine on the sparkling snow and the air was so still. Thomas and Emily thought it looked absolutely beautiful, but they were also still in shock and shyness over what almost happened at the Steamworks.

At Tidmouth Sheds, the lights in each berth gave a sense of warmth and comfort as Thomas and Emily backed in.

Emily broke the awkward silence. "Did…did you like how I looked?"

Thomas felt a little awkward too. "Uh…yes, I did. You looked wonderful…I'm just happy to be here again. I don't think it's the shelter here keeping us warm, Emily…you are keeping me warm."

Emily felt touched by this. "Thank you, Thomas…I think your presence is keeping me warm too…goodnight."

"Goodnight, Emily," whispered Thomas. As they fell asleep, they once again found themselves drifting into dreamland for yet another tease for them to realize upon waking up…

_Emily and Thomas were in the Town Square. There was a huge Christmas tree, full of lights and decorations. It looked beautiful. Emily was decorated with Christmas tree branches and red ribbons, and Thomas was covered in gold tinsel. There were no people around. Just two engines, enjoying the atmosphere of Christmas and snowflakes falling steadily around them. As they looked above themselves, they could see the walkway decorated with mistletoe…right above them. They saw there was no one else around and began inching towards each other again…_

_"Merry Christmas, Emily…"_

_"Merry Christmas, Thomas…"_

_And after those words were spoken, their lips met in a lovely Christmas kiss. Thomas and Emily could hear sleigh bells above them as they kissed each other so warmly and softly. As they pulled away and looked up, they could see a familiar form in the sky and a jolly voice echo through the air._

_"Ho-ho-ho!" it echoed. Thomas looked back at Emily. Her eyes were sparkling in the Christmas lights and a little snowflake landed on her nose._

_Thomas whispered, "I love you, Emily…and Merry Christmas…"_

_"I love you too, Thomas…Merry Christmas…" As the sleigh bells continued to ring though the sky, Thomas and Emily kept looking at each other with joy, thrill and happiness, but suddenly, they felt like they were slipping away from their area…_

Thomas woke up to see the stars in the winter sky…then looked to see Emily, still asleep in her berth.

"Oh…Blast!" he whispered. Emily heard Thomas and woke up to see him looking cross. _"Just…be…real!"_ she thought.

"Thomas?" she yawned. "What's wrong?"

"Oh!" Thomas whispered with surprise. "Nothing, Emily. I just had this dream. It was…uh…oh! Why do I forget dreams the instant I wake up? I wish I could tell you…"

"I had a dream too, but I forgot it," said Emily sadly. "But whatever it was, I wish it would come true."

Thomas grew a little excited, and reassured her. "Well, I have faith that dreams DO come true, Emily," he said. "It's late and we need our rest. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Tommy," Emily whispered, nearly silent. As they slept on through the night, a lavender engine passed by Tidmouth Sheds with wonder and determination…she would have to speak up and ask Thomas one way or another…

* * *

OK, that's that done, next chapter is the one every single one of you has been waiting for. This is it folks, one of the biggest chapters in the story, Rosie confesses to Thomas...but you all know what the outcome is, but you will be surprised as well by what happens...and just to warn you guys, this will take a while, so just be patient and wait for a while before it comes out, you won't be disappointed...hopefully. Leave a review and we will see you soon with "Unrequited Love."


	25. Unrequited Love

It was Christmas Eve on Sodor. Only a few days ago was the Sodor Winter Party. Emily had tried to take the Winter Party Special, but had failed to find the Fat Controller's hat after it blew away. That same evening, Thomas and Emily had nearly kissed under mistletoe at the Steamworks.

This Christmas Eve, the sun was beginning to set and Rosie was looking for Thomas. She had finally decided not to compete against Emily anymore. She would have to find Thomas and ask him right then and there if he loved her or not. She had been dealing with this conflict ever since she met him and she wanted her questions to be answered once and for all.

Thomas was at the Steamworks being polished up for the Christmas Party being held at Knapford Station. He was to take passengers home after the party. He was excited. He wanted to show Emily how wonderful he was going to look. Even better, Emily was on her way to the Steamworks to be decorated for the party and she was to take passengers home from the party with him as well. Thomas couldn't wait to see her in her party-mode appearance. He was just finished being polished when he heard an engine coming towards him.

"Hello?" he called out. He was hoping it would be Emily, but instead, he saw Rosie. She slowed down and looked at Thomas. Thomas could tell she had something on her mind and had been looking for him. Rosie slowly came forward until she was a few feet away from Thomas. She looked very nervous and a little frightened.

"Rosie?" Thomas asked. "Are you alright?"

Rosie didn't speak for a few seconds. Then she spoke.

"Thomas…I've been holding back this question for too long…what are your feelings for me?"

Thomas was a little confused. "What do you mean? Are you talking of love?"

"Thomas…I've been looking for you…and…I need to know something…I have something to confess…and something to ask you…for years, since I first laid eyes on you, I have idolized you to the point that I wanted to be just like you…by copying whatever you did. I didn't want to annoy you through my imitation…I did so because I love you…Ever since I delivered the Funfair Special, I have been competing against Emily to have your heart. After you went missing on Misty Island, I lost a lot of confidence, and only a few nights ago, I saw what nearly happened between you and Emily…now I really must know…who do you love?"

Thomas was silent for some time as he thought…and Rosie waited. Thomas was beginning to finally realize something he didn't notice way back when. Rosie did have feelings for Thomas and Emily must have been afraid of losing him. That argument he overheard during the Funfair must have been over who would win him over. Although he liked Rosie as a friend, Emily was much more beautiful to him, and as such, despite not wanting to upset Rosie, he had to speak the truth.

"Hm. So you've been trying to outshine Emily for a few years, have you?" he said. "Well, even if I knew about your conflict from the start, my mind is already made up…I love Emily. I've known her for so long and we've been through so much together. I'm sorry, but I can't choose you over her…the most beautiful engine I've ever laid eyes on."

The words made Rosie's fire nearly go out and her boiler felt icy cold. Her fears had come true. The engine that had unknowingly held her heart had just shattered it into millions of pieces. He didn't love her as she loved him. She had been in serious doubts since Thomas floated to Misty Island, but by now after seeing what happened with the mistletoe, she couldn't help herself, she was so desperate.

Suddenly, just as Emily was arriving at the Steamworks, Rosie rushed forward…and she kissed Thomas! She desperately and forcefully pressed her lips against his. Thomas was shocked by this sudden action and only after four seconds, he reversed quickly and popped his lips off Rosie's. The sight staggered Emily. This was a nightmare that she had hoped against hope would never happen. But it was real. Rosie had just kissed Thomas on the lips. She nearly screamed with fury, but didn't want to startle Thomas.

_"That little brat!"_ she thought. _"Rosie, you little fool!"_

Rosie was about to rush forward and jump back into kissing Thomas, but she took a second look…Thomas looked disgusted. He just stared and gaped. He looked like he was going to be sick.

It all became clear to Rosie…Thomas did not love her, he had no love to give to her. Thomas was truly in love with Emily and not her and she had invaded his personal space over what she did. Feelings of guilt, shame, silliness and disgrace started hitting her like a whirlwind and she rushed away by herself, heartbroken and embarrassed, both by not having Thomas as her love and over her lack of self-control.

Emily crossly looked over to Thomas. Now Thomas managed to react…

"AUGH!" He groaned. That was not how he expected his first kiss to be like. He coughed and spat for some time before finally pulling himself together. He wanted to just leave Rosie in shame over what she did, but he remembered, it was Christmas Eve. How could he leave someone to be feeling sad and terrible at such a special time of year? Thomas rushed out of the Steamworks in search for Rosie, while Emily came inside and got ready for the party. She was still shocked and affronted over what Rosie did, but seeing Thomas react as he did made her feel a little reassured.

_"I can't believe that…that…uh, ENGINE kissed him! How dare she!"_ she thought to herself. _"But then again…Thomas did look disgusted…Don't worry, Thomas. Whenever the time comes…you will get the kisses of your life…"_

* * *

Meanwhile, Thomas was still looking around on the mainline for Rosie. Despite his frustration over what Rosie suddenly did, he wondered if maybe he didn't explain a certain thing. He began to wonder about the good things she did for him. If she hadn't seen 'Arry and Bert taking him to Smelters to be melted down as an act of revenge for damaging them, then no one would have been able to save him from sharing the same fate as his siblings. His class would have been extinct if Rosie hadn't alerted Emily and the Fat Controller in order to save him. He had her to thank for being able to carry out his late sisters final request. As he looked back to some of his happier memories with her, he got an idea.

Rosie was at Edward's Station, crying quietly and telling Edward about Thomas and how silly she felt.

"I couldn't help it, Edward. He just told me he couldn't love me, and I just had to do it. It was now or never," Rosie whimpered.

"Thomas is a special engine," sympathized Edward. "I can see why you love him, Rosie…I'm sure he still wants to be a friend."

"I don't think he'll want to now," sniffled Rosie. "I went overboard and he looked so disgraced…oh no, here he comes." Thomas came up to Rosie, slowly and carefully. Edward decided he would leave Thomas to talk with Rosie. He left Rosie's side and looked at Thomas in silence before heading off for Knapford. Thomas knew what Edward was trying to tell him. He had to write the wrong he had made. He had broken Rosie's heart and he had to try and fix it as well as he could.

Rosie started to slowly back away from Thomas, still crying softly. Thomas didn't want her to feel sad at Christmas.

"Rosie, wait," he called. Rosie stopped and looked at Thomas. "Yes?" she asked sadly. Thomas came up to Rosie and touched his buffers to hers.

"Thomas, you don't have to touch my buffers, or anything," sobbed Rosie. "I don't deserve your friendship…I went overboard and invaded your space right after you told me the truth…I'll stay away from you if you want."

"Rosie, please listen," Thomas said with a small sense of urgency. "I came to make you happy again."

"How? You love Emily…and all I did was annoy you with my imitation of you," said Rosie. Thomas smiled slightly.

"Rosie…while I was looking for you, I suddenly realized something...I think I knew ever since you first came here…I'm very sorry I can't love you like I love Emily…I fell in love with her from the moment I first laid my eyes on her...but I do love you as something else…"

Rosie stopped crying, but she looked puzzled. "How? What do you mean?" she asked.

"I love you as a little sister," Thomas explained. "You know the truth, I only got to meet Emma once and I only saw her for just over an hour before she was taken from me forever, you were there to witness it. As such, I never got to live with her…but you were able to give me the experience of what siblings get to do. You have been like the little sister I never had. You gave me a lot of things Emma wasn't able to. Brothers and sisters help each other, work together and play together. Had it not been for you, I wouldn't have got Alice's Birthday mail to her, and I wouldn't have thought of our game, Splish-Splash-Splosh. I don't want you to feel the same pain you felt when I blamed you for my brothers being scraped and I don't want to nearly force you off the island, I would never be able to forgive myself if I did that to you again. I am glad I met you and I'm glad you came to Sodor. I wouldn't be alive right now if you hadn't helped save me from being melted down. I will always love Emily with my romantic heart, but as a little sister, I do love you, Rosie."

Rosie was still a little disappointed that he didn't love her as a girlfriend, but she felt very happy to be the little sister he never had.

"Do you really mean that, Thomas? Am I like a sister to you?" She asked happily.

"I mean every word, cutie," said Thomas. "I want you to have a Merry Christmas, Rosie. Christmas is a time of love and being with your family."

Rosie felt much better. Being Thomas' sister was the next best thing to love. "Thank you…big brother," she smiled.

"You go ahead and attend the party, Rosie. I must collect Annie and Clarabel." And Thomas set off on his own, while Rosie went on her way with a smile and a happy whistle.

* * *

At Knapford Station, the party was about to begin. Most of the engines were already there. Even Flynn and Belle from the Search and Rescue Centre were there. They didn't often get to attend parties or special times on Sodor as they were mostly on duty in case of any emergency.

Emily was also there, waiting for Thomas. She had been polished and was given some Christmas tree branches to wear along her running boards and a large red ribbon on her funnel. She felt like she was slightly in her dream world as she remembered that dream she and Thomas had after the Winter Party Special. She heard a high whistle and deduced it was Rosie. When Rosie came into view and saw Emily, she looked apologetic and a little timid.

"Emily, I've something to tell you…you've won the Battle for Love. I'm through with competition of any kind. Thomas is all yours. I promise I will never follow you around again."

"Even after what you did at the Steamworks?" Emily asked, still a little irritated.

Rosie was a little shocked, but she knew being honest was the right thing. "Y-yes. I feel mortified over that and I just want to pretend I never did that. I wish you all the luck on Sodor that you'll get to kiss him as much as you wish," said Rosie. "And Merry Christmas, Emily!"

By now, Emily felt better. Knowing all this made one of her dreams come true…she did want to be a friend of Rosie's and now she had that chance.

"Merry Christmas to you, Rosie," she smiled. Rosie whistled cheerfully and went to find a place to watch the party. Eventually, Thomas arrived with Annie and Clarabel. Although he was not decorated with anything, he gasped as he saw Emily.

"Oh…Emily! You…you look spectacular!" he wheeshed. Emily blushed. "Thank you, sweetie," she giggled. "And you look cute with your polish."

Thomas blushed too. "Uh…thank you, dear," he murmured nervously. Then, as the Knapford clock struck 9:00 p.m., the party began. The large Christmas tree on the middle platform was covered with lights and ornaments with a golden star on top. Children laughed and cheered for the holidays and the engines whistled in union.

The gossip of Rosie's sudden kiss with Thomas had spread over the island quickly, but everyone was very supportive of Rosie. They all knew of her crush on Thomas and were sorry to hear that such a sweet little engine had her heart broken when he declined her. They all wished her the best and hoped she would recover from this heartbreak soon. Though no one knew that Thomas declined Rosie because of Emily. Rosie had kept her lips sealed about Thomas and Emily's mutual love for one another, which was what she should have done before she kissed him.

_"He is much better off with Emily,"_ she thought to herself, remembering what Emily said to her when Thomas was on Misty Island...

_"He saved me from my terrible ways and helped me to become happy and kind again...I need him to stay happy and kind! Without him, I might be thrown back to suffering! I don't want to reopen the terrible things I never wanted to do!"_

It was then that Rosie realized why Thomas loved Emily so much.

_"Emily may be strong and beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, she's weak, her heart and spirit are fragile from all the suffering she was forced to endure...She needs someone to protect her, someone who can give her strength, confidence, happiness and love...That's why they both love each other...Thomas wants to protect her from her suffering and give her love and compassion, it was why he risked having his branch line taken away from him after attacking 'Arry and Bert at the quarry, even though they deserved it after what they said about Emily. He wants her to be happy, and he's wiling to anything to ensure she is happy. And, she loves him because he gives her all the love and affection she wanted during those terrible days...she wouldn't be who she truly is again if Thomas didn't love her as much as he did, even when she was being bossy...he loves her no matter what she did in the past, he loves her more than I could ever love him, and she loves him for all his kindness and faith in her...They really are the perfect engines for each other...the perfect couple...true love..."_

She finished her thoughts and looked back at Thomas and Emily. All Thomas could do was look at Emily while the party continued. Just like their recent dream, she looked unbelievable. The Christmas tree branches on her running boards matched her emerald paint perfectly and just like the Winter Party Special, the red ribbon on her funnel made her look more beautiful than ever.

Thomas was looking at a flower, a princess, a queen, a goddess and most beautiful of all, an angel. He loved Christmas whenever it came round, but with Emily on Sodor, Christmas was a whole lot better for him. She was the most beautiful decoration and the sweetest, kindest engine he could imagine. For nearly an hour, he just watched the party, daydreaming about Emily…until her voice got his attention.

"That's funny, Belle and Flynn were there a few minutes ago, now they've gone." Emily was right. Flynn and Belle were nowhere to be seen. They came for the party, now they had disappeared.

"Maybe they got called for an emergency?" said Thomas, optimistically.

"I don't think so. Surely if there is an emergency, we would've all been alerted about it," said Emily, worryingly.

"I'm sure there's nothing wrong with them. Belle and Flynn are well-trained firefighters, they know how to take care of themselves. Everything's perfectly fine tonight," Thomas said with a warm, reassuring smile. Seeing that made Emily blush and almost made her boiler melt. How he could possibly look so handsome with little to no effort was something Emily could never be able to understand, yet at the same time she didn't want to know his mysterious secret, if he ever had one.

"Alright..." she said at last.

Finally, as the clock struck 12:00 a.m., the party ended. Everyone boarded their trains and went home.

"Goodnight, Rosie…and Merry Christmas," called Thomas.

"Merry Christmas to both of you," Rosie whistled.

Thomas and Emily's trains were boarded and they went side-by-side along the line to take their passengers home. It began to snow. At every station Thomas and Emily stopped at, Thomas looked at her, overpowered by her sheer beauty but would look away whenever Emily glimpsed him. Secretly, Emily blushed, feeling very flattered that Thomas liked her appearance that much. After their passengers were all delivered, Thomas and Emily left their coaches in the yards and returned to Tidmouth Sheds and backed into their berths, next to each other.

"Tomorrow is Christmas, Emily," whispered Thomas. "Are you happy?"

"I'm very happy, Thomas," whispered Emily. "Merry Christmas."

"Sweet dreams, Emily, and Merry Christmas," Thomas whispered as they both fell asleep under a Christmas night sky.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rosie had left the party, looking for a shed to sleep in. The party had made her feel the Christmas spirit like Thomas hoped and now she was ready to sleep too. As she neared Tidmouth Station and was approaching the old branch line sheds, she heard a friendly voice.

"Hello? Rosie?" She looked and saw Stanley.

"Oh, hello, Stanley. I'm looking for a shed for the night," said Rosie.

"Why don't you sleep here where I can keep you company?" asked Stanley. Rosie felt flattered. "OK, Stanley." She puffed onto the small turntable outside the sheds, turned herself round and backed into the sheds beside Stanley. As Stanley looked at her, he was interested. She looked very cute and sweet to him and wondered if he could have a chance with her. She looked the right size to him and he thought they could be a good duo. But, considering everything that happened to her that evening, he decided that thinking about that wasn't the best thing to do right now.

"Rosie, I'm sorry about what happened between you and Thomas earlier this evening. Are you sure you're going to be alright with not being his girlfriend?" Stanley asked with concern.

"Yes..." replied Rosie. "I may not have Thomas' love in the way I wanted to, but at least I have his love as his little sister now."

"Rosie…it must be a great hassle for you trying to find a different shed to sleep in every night...would you like to sleep here from now on? I get lonely here by myself and I would love someone to keep me company."

Rosie thought for a moment and looked at Stanley. _"He's very friendly,"_ she thought. _"And strong-looking. I can get used to this."_

"Thank you, Stanley. I'd love that," she smiled. Stanley smiled too. "Goodnight, Rosie. And Happy Christmas."

Rosie yawned softly. "Merry Christmas, Stanley. Goodnight." And Rosie closed her eyes and fell asleep beside her new shed mate. She may have loved Thomas for a long time, but now, being his little sister was enough for her and she now had a new friend to have a chance with. She smiled in her sleep under the Christmas sky.

* * *

And thus, the battle of love has finally concluded. Jesus Christ, this has been a really long time coming hasn't it? The most anticipated chapter in this entire story and this is how the rivalry between Emily and Rosie ends, though to be fair, Emily won by a landslide the moment the battle begun. So yeah, this is why I introduced Emma in this story, specifically for this moment.

And yes, the end is suppose to foreshadow the eventual RosiexStanley story, coming God knows when, but you're probably wondering what the deal was with mentioning Belle and Flynn in this chapter. Well, a LOT of stuff takes during the events of this chapter, Belle and Flynn's absence is just one of the events occurring off-screen in this chapter. What those events are you will learn in the future, but for now, please leave your reviews and tell me what you think about the conclusion of the rivalry between Emily and Rosie and your thoughts on this chapter as a whole. Until next time, take care everyone and I will see you all with the next chapter, adapted from the magazine story, "Place to Play." See ya then!


	26. Place to Play

Another Christmas had come and gone on Sodor, and it was a rather eventful one. Rosie had asked Thomas if he loved her, and although he rejected her romantically, he still accepted her as a little sister for the good deeds she did perform for him. Since then, Rosie had not followed him or Emily around anymore thanks to her new friend Stanley.

It was a fine Spring afternoon on Sodor and Thomas was busy shunting in the yards with Emily. Although he liked working on his Branch Line, he wasn't able to spend much time with Emily. But working with her now made them both happy.

"How are you doing, Emily?" Thomas asked as they worked.

"I'm feeling wonderful, Thomas," smiled Emily. "We don't often work together. I miss you when you're on your branch line, but I feel much happier when you're here with me."

Thomas chuckled. "I'm much happier when you're with me too, Emily," he said shyly.

As the two engines worked together, suddenly a ball came soaring through the air past the fence towards Thomas. He watched as it came lower and lower, then it bounced off his cab and landed right on Emily's funnel. Thomas thought she looked slightly cute. Then some children's heads looked over the fence.

"There's our ball!" one of them called. Emily looked at the children, then took a deep breath and blew the ball right back to them. One of the boys caught the ball and looked at Emily in a surprised manner. Then he waved at her as a thank you.

"Be careful, little ones," cautioned Emily. "It isn't safe playing this close to the railway." The children nodded back and disappeared down the fence.

That evening, all the engines were asleep, except Thomas and Emily. They were spending more time looking at the stars and moon.

"Well, Thomas. We're doing it again," whispered Emily.

"Doing what?" he asked.

"Stargazing," said Emily. "Everyone else goes to sleep but we do what they're all missing out on. Watching the stars is magical for me."

"It certainly is for me…because of you," said Thomas.

Emily blushed and chuckled softly. "Aww, thank you, Thomas," she whispered. The two friends spent quite a time looking at the stars and moonlight. It was indeed beautiful. Sometimes back when he first came to Sodor, Thomas would look at the night, but now, having such a beautiful engine by his side made the experience many times better. Thomas looked at Emily and could see how the moonlight shone off her paint. She looked so stunning under the moon, he thought he would squeal with delight.

Eventually, Emily yawned, ready to sleep. Thomas yawned too.

"Well, that was nice," he whispered.

"Very nice indeed, Thomas," Emily whispered back. "Let's get some sleep...I look forward to working with you again."

Thomas blushed lightly. "So do I, dear," he whispered. They whispered to each other, "Goodnight." and fell asleep under the stars.

The next morning, Thomas and Emily were the first engines to wake up. They made their way to the yards and started working together again, sometimes looking at each other and exchanging smiles. But as they worked, suddenly, a terrible smell hung in the air.

"Ugh! What is that?" asked Thomas.

"I don't know," sniffed Emily. "It's strong…and like spoilt fuel!"

At that moment, James came into the yards and coughed over the pong. "The Mayor will be here soon. I'm taking him to a meeting at the Town Hall. With this horrible smell, he will be most displeased!" he complained.

"Well," Emily teased. "He still gave you praise after you helped me, Thomas and Percy, getting covered in fish, dust and coal!"

James snorted, but before he could respond, the smell suddenly became stronger…until Diesel oiled into the yards. He was covered in dirt and his exhaust was noisy.

"I can't stand the smell anymore!" groaned Thomas.

"Smelly old Diesel!" huffed James. "I might have known!"

"I can't help a bit of dirt!" said Diesel obstinately. Then the Fat Controller arrived. As he stepped out of his car, he coughed from the smell too.

"Ohh! Diesel, you must head for the wash-down and quickly!" he said.

"Very well, sir," oiled Diesel. So Diesel headed for a water tower. He stopped and waited to be hosed and scrubbed…but no water would come from the hose. Diesel waited impatiently while the workmen examined the tower. He grunted dreadfully as Thomas and Emily came puffing up side-by-side. They stopped at a signal nearby the water tower…just as one of the workmen spoke up.

"I found it, mate," he said. "The drain is blocked."

"What is it?" asked another workman.

"My goodness…a football! …Something odd is going on."

Just then, some children came running towards the tower. "Excuse us, sirs, may we have our ball back?" The workmen had some effort, but the football was eventually unplugged from the hose.

"Mind yourselves, youngsters," said the workmen. "It isn't safe playing near the railway."

The children complained as they left. "Now we don't have anywhere to play!" they said. The workmen sighed and finally got to work. Now Diesel was being washed.

"It's about time!" he grumbled. Thomas and Emily had seen everything and looked at each other.

"What's to do, Emily? Those children need somewhere to play…just like that new playground…"

Emily was puzzled. "What new playground, Thomas?"

"Oh! I don't think I told you this, Emily. Many years ago, I stopped at a station and saw some sad children. They told me their playground was closed because the sand was too dirty to play in. At the same time, the Fat Controller had arranged for Harold to show a visitor around the island instead of us. Gordon and Henry thought the visitor was trying to use Harold to replace us…it was all a silly rumour."

"Where do big engines get the wrong idea?" Emily asked. Thomas chuckled. "I don't know…but it makes me laugh sometimes." Then he continued.

"Gordon tried racing Harold but he missed a signal and crashed into a tunnel under repair. After I rescued him, I bravely asked the Fat Controller if he'd be scrapped, which of course, he wouldn't dare to do, then confessed what the engines thought about Harold and the visitor. It turned out that the visitor wanted to make a new playground and thought that searching from above would be easier. We ended up using sand we found…by accident and rumour, you might say. The tunnel sand was used for the new playground."

Emily was smiling buffer to buffer. This was a very interesting story Thomas had told her.

"Thomas…do you think…that's happening again? Those children want somewhere to play," she said.

"Yes…they do, Emily. They need a place to play," said Thomas. "We might be able to do something." And together they set off to hopefully tell the Fat Controller.

Meanwhile, James was on his way to Knapford Station to pick up the Mayor. At the station, the Fat Controller was talking to the Mayor.

"I've heard a few complaints from workmen…we seem to have a few children whose balls keep flying into train yards and water-towers. This can cause confusion and delay," said the Fat Controller. "Engines could have accidents, and children might get hurt. I'm arranging to put up notices around my railway that read: DANGER! NO BALL GAMES. It's for their own good."

The Mayor agreed, just as James arrived with the special coach.

"Ahh, you're here, James. Very good," said the Mayor. And he boarded the special coach. James whistled with pride and set off carefully on his way.

At that moment, Thomas and Emily came by. "Thomas and Emily," said the Fat Controller. "I've been waiting for you. You may recall that some children have been playing too close to the railway."

"Yes sir," said Thomas.

"Well, I would like you and Emily to deliver danger notices forbidding children to play near the railway," said the Fat Controller. "The train is waiting in the yards."

Thomas both agreed and disagreed to this. It was indeed unsafe to play near the railway, but these children wanted a place to play. He didn't want to let the children down. Neither did Emily.

"Sir," said Emily. "We…" But the Fat Controller's phone began to ring.

"Uh…not now, Emily," he said quickly as he rushed inside to answer the phone. Emily looked at Thomas with some disappointment.

"What can we do, Thomas?" she asked.

"Hmm…well, Emily, he's right. I don't want the children to get hurt. Maybe this is useful," said Thomas, although he really didn't want to do this.

"Well, let's go, Emily. The train is waiting for us." Emily meekly agreed and they set off for the yards. They quietly collected their trucks full of signs and went along the line side-by-side, occasionally stopping to let their driver and fireman post the signs wherever instructed. At stations, fences and water-towers.

"The poor children," said Emily, breaking the silence. "They'll be so disappointed."

"…No they won't be," said Thomas. "That visitor helped to make a new playground back then, those children will get a place to play sooner or later!" Emily couldn't help but smile. She loved how Thomas put others before him and would not give up to solve a problem. She felt better as they finished delivering the signs and made their way back to Knapford Station.

Upon arriving, they both saw the Fat Controller waiting for them. He looked excited and ready for something.

"I have some important news," he said proudly. "Thomas and Emily, you are to join James on a special trip tomorrow."

"What is it sir?" asked Thomas. The Fat Controller smiled in a light teasing manner.

"Wait and see," he chuckled.

That night, Thomas and Emily, once again stayed up longer than the other engines, staring at the stars. Emily was still thinking about the Fat Controller's news and Thomas' determination for the children.

"Thomas?" she whispered.

"Yes, Emily?"

"With our special trip with James tomorrow…how will we tell the Fat Controller about the children's place to play?"

Thomas pondered. "We'll tell him as soon as we can, Emily. We should be really useful first. It's what he would want."

Emily thought to herself. Being useful was indeed the most important aspect of working for the Fat Controller. She finally agreed with Thomas. Because it was still Spring, the weather was still a little cool. A drafty breeze blew along Tidmouth Sheds. Thomas looked to see Emily shudder from the wind.

"Feeling cold, my dear?" Thomas asked.

Emily blushed. "A little nippy, darling," she shivered lightly.

"Why don't I keep you warm?" Thomas asked as he approached the turntable. Emily felt a deep rush of excitement through her boiler.

"Th-thank you, Thomas," she whispered. "You're so sweet, I can't describe it."

Thomas turned round and gently touched Emily's buffers. Emily felt a warm feeling spread through her as she felt Thomas' presence accompanying her own. He truly did keep her warm.

"Sweet dreams, Emily," whispered Thomas as he touched his nose to hers.

"Sweet dreams, Thomas," whispered Emily. They exchanged a smile and fell asleep in each other's warm hold under the starry night.

The next morning, Emily woke up to see Thomas, still asleep and touching her nose with his. She smiled happily as she felt herself waking up more. She yawned and Thomas felt her warm breath flow over his face again. He smiled widely as he woke up to see her smiling back at him.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered.

"Good morning, cutie," she chuckled.

Thomas looked around, and saw James was nowhere in the sheds.

"We should get going, Emily," he said. "James and the Mayor will be waiting for us."

"Of course," she agreed. "We want the Mayor to be proud of us."

They set off for the yards to gather their coaches. At Knapford Station, once again, James was waiting with the special coach. Thomas arrived with Annie and Clarabel and Emily came up beside him with her own coaches. As Thomas and Emily watched their passengers boarding, they both realized…some of the passengers were the children whose ball landed in the yard. Their parents were with them too. Thomas and Emily looked at each other with wonder.

"Why are they here?" asked Thomas.

"I don't know," said Emily. "We'll have to see what this trip is about."

Presently, the Mayor arrived and boarded James' coach. Soon, all three engines were off. James took the lead with the Mayor while Thomas and Emily followed side-by-side. Despite their thought for the children, Thomas and Emily were still excited about this important trip…with the Mayor of Sodor.

Eventually after some time, they all arrived at what looked like a new playground with a red ribbon. Thomas and Emily smiled as they stopped to let their passengers off.

The Mayor stepped out of James' coach and announced: "I hereby declare this new playground open." And he cut the ribbon as everyone clapped and rejoiced.

"Sir!" exclaimed Thomas. "We wanted to tell you about a place to play for the children…how did you know?"

The Fat Controller explained. "I had been to a meeting with the Mayor to discuss a wasteland that seemed to appear useless. We decided to give it a better use by cleaning the area out and building a playground for the children, so they can play safely without any risks of being too close to the railway."

As the children swarmed into the new playground, Thomas and Emily looked at each other.

"Well, Emily," smiled Thomas. "These children got what they wanted…much sooner than I thought."

Emily laughed sweetly. "This time, there weren't any rumours, Thomas!" Then both engines laughed happily together as the children enjoyed their new place to play.

* * *

This was a nice change wasn't it? A chapter based off of a magazine story from 2004, I think this may have been one of the magazine stories I actually read as a child sometime after Emily came to the show, because it definitely feels very familiar to me, which is part of the reason why I chose to include it in this story, also because I really like the story, and just to put it out there, in case you can't be bothered to check the wikia, this was one of the first magazine stories to feature Emily, so yeah.

Speaking of Emily, today I am a very happy man, because today the Official Thomas and Friends YouTube channel has finally released Emily's promo video for "The Great Race" and I love how they did it. Never before has Emily been more beautiful than she is in that video and "The Great Race." But what sticks out to me the most in that video is what they said about her at one point. They specifically described Emily's wheel arches as, "gorgeous curves." That is one of the last things I ever expected to hear in any official Thomas content, granted I don't have any problems with it cause Emily is the pure definition of gorgeous, but that was definitely not what I would have expected from Emily's video.

So in your reviews please tell us what you thought about this chapter, and I will see you next with the beginning of the "Brenaissance" with Andrew Brenner's first special, "King of the Railway", see ya then!


	27. King of the Railway

It was a beautiful day on the Island of Sodor. Thomas and Percy were busy shunting trucks at Brendam Docks…but they were being a little silly.

"Watch out, Percy! Trucks coming through!" called Thomas. Now although Thomas loved being really useful, he wasn't thinking about being really useful…he missed Emily. After working more often with her while helping the children find a place to play, he wasn't used to not having her around. He wondered if he'd still be playing around the docks if she was there. Something inside him said he would be working hard and carefully if she was with him. The more he thought about her, the more he fooled around with Percy.

"You two are going to cause an accident!" Cranky cranked.

"We're being careful, Cranky," Thomas replied.

"Oh yes, very careful. Here comes another truck, Thomas!" called Percy. But Thomas and Percy weren't really being very careful. Thomas bumped the truck back onto the other line.

"And some for you, Percy!" As the truck sped past Percy and hit the other trucks, it suddenly bumped and a crate fell off. It split slightly open and a metal arm popped out!

"Thomas!" Percy squeaked.

"Oh, what did I tell you?" Cranky cranked.

"Look. A metal man!" exclaimed Percy. "A robot!"

"A robot?" breathed Thomas.

"Silly tank engines," hooted Cranky. "That's not a robot. It's a suit of armor…like a knight wears. I hope you haven't damaged it!"

"I don't think we have," said Percy. Suddenly, the armor sat up! "It's moving!" squeaked Percy as he reversed quickly away.

"It's alright, Percy!" called Thomas. "It's only a suit of armor…but who does it belong to?"

Long ago, before there were any railways, the Island of Sodor was ruled by Kings. And the greatest King of Sodor was King Godred. Godred was a well-loved King. He protected the island from invaders with the help of his gallant knights in armor. Life was good under Godred's reign. It was a Golden Age and King Godred wore a Golden Crown. But one day, the crown was stolen. The thieves were eventually caught, but the crown had been hidden. It was never seen again. The ruins of King Godred's castle can still be found at Ulfstead on the Earl of Sodor's estate. These days, instead of knights in shining armor, its railway engines who charge about the island, all across to the Mainland by the rolling bridge at Vicarstown. It can be raised up like a castle drawbridge to let ships pass.

Vicarstown Bridge was the railway border between the Island of Sodor and the mainland. Sometimes, some of the engines would cross the bridge if they had to take trains to railways beyond the North Western. Whenever any engines would cross this bridge, they'd feel a sense of sadness about leaving home but would feel very happy upon returning. The two engines who used this bridge the most often were Spencer and Hiro. Spencer was after all an engine of the UK and Hiro was from Japan, but they'd always come back to Sodor. What Thomas said was true…Sodor was Hiro's true home.

One day, Thomas had been sent to the washdown with Annie and Clarabel, but Thomas and his coaches weren't the only ones there. He could see several other engines either being washed or waiting their turn.

"Why are we all being sent to the washdown today?" Thomas asked.

"Something must be happening," said Clarabel.

"It must be a special day," added Annie.

Then Thomas heard the beautiful voice he always loved. "I heard that Spencer was coming from the mainland." It was Emily, smiling confidently as her buffers were scrubbed with suds. When Emily wasn't looking, Thomas eyed her buffers as they were washed. This time, Thomas was appreciating both her beautiful features and her beautiful being. But his thoughts were interrupted by Gordon's voice.

"I hope we're not all having a wash for Spencer!" huffed Gordon.

"I heard that he's bringing a very important passenger," said James.

"James is right!" called a voice. Bumping and bouncing along in Winston, the Fat Controller stopped alongside Gordon.

"We do have a special visitor today," he said. "My old friend, the Earl of Sodor is coming home to the island after traveling the world for many years. Every engine and every station must look its best for his arrival."

Thomas and his friends were very excited. They had never met the Earl before. As Spencer made his way across the island, children waved and passengers watched as Spencer glided through decorated stations. At Knapford Station, all the engines and all the guests were waiting for Spencer to arrive with the Earl. Belle rang her bell.

"Here they come!" she announced. Spencer came smoothly towards the station. The Brass Band started their fanfare and the Fat Controller made an announcement.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Engines and Coaches, I give you…Sir Robert Norramby, Earl of Sodor!"

"Oh! A celebration. How splendid!" said the Earl as he stepped out of Spencer's coach.

The Fat Controller tried to continue. "We have gathered here, Sir Robert, to celebrate-"

"No, no, no, no. You carry on. I didn't mean to interrupt," said the Earl. "And I promised Millie I'd be at the estate by 2:00."

"Really?"

"Enjoy your party. It sounds like great fun! Goodbye!" called the Earl as Spencer pulled out of the station.

"Millie? Who's Millie?" asked Thomas to no one in particular.

"Don't ask me," answered James. "I've never heard of her." Just then, Percy rushed in.

"Oh dear. Sorry I'm late. Has the Earl arrived yet?" he asked.

"Been and gone, Percy. Been and gone," said Gordon as he steamed away.

"Oh, what a shame," peeped Percy. He and James left the station, but Thomas and Emily stayed put.

"I've never heard of this Millie," said Thomas.

"Neither have I, Thomas," said Emily. "Not even the Narrow Gauge engines ever mentioned her." As the day passed, all the engines were wondering…who was this Millie? They had never heard of her and no one ever mentioned her. Thomas and Emily were particularly curious. Whenever a new name was mentioned, it grabbed everyone's attention. All Thomas and Emily could think about was this Millie all afternoon and long into the evening.

That night at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas was settling down to sleep with the other engines. He managed to sleep for nearly an hour, but then something woke him up. Usually, Thomas only heard silence in his sleep, with the occasional exception of snoring from Gordon, but he didn't hear any snoring tonight. Instead, he heard a very faint hiss of steam. He looked to where the sound came from…and saw that Emily was still awake, a faint wisp of steam rising slowly around her. She didn't look sleepy or unsettled, but Thomas could tell her mind was full. When you think deep, complicated thoughts, it's not easy to sleep.

"Emily? Why are you still awake?" Thomas whispered.

"Oh, Thomas…I'm thinking…about Millie," she whispered back.

Thomas smiled at the angel in the night. "Why Emily? You're not worried, are you?"

"No, I'm not, Thomas," said Emily. She smiled sweetly at her savior. "I'm excited. I don't know if she'll be big or small, but I'd love to meet her."

"I'm excited too, Emily…and I'm sure we'll meet her soon. For now, we should be sleeping…spending our night in comfort and warmth." Then Thomas got another thought. He slowly added. "I…I know I've been busy and away from you a little…whenever I have to work with someone else…I miss you, Emily."

Emily blushed slightly. "I miss you too, Thomas. When I have to work with someone else, all I can think about is you." Then she yawned softly.

"Thanks, sleepy," whispered Thomas. "Let's just sleep now and enjoy the night. Goodnight and sweet dreams, Emily."

"Sweet dreams, Thomas. Goodnight," Emily whispered as she fell asleep, feeling more relaxed and comfortable.

* * *

The next morning, the Fat Controller sent Thomas to Brendam Docks to collect the shipment for the Earl. He buffered up to the train and was ready to go.

"Goodbye, Cranky!" he whistled as he huffed away.

"See you later, Thomas. Don't go wrecking any more crates now!" called Cranky. Thomas climbed slowly up the steep slope to the Earl's estate. He was very interested in the estate. It looked so grand, important and prosperous. As he arrived at the platform, he could hear the Earl talking to a designer about a building plan.

"No, taller, bigger, bolder!" He heard the Earl saying. "A-ha! My first shipment has arrived! Millie!" Then the Earl blew into a special horn.

"Coming sir," called a voice. Thomas listened to the whistle, then saw a small, blue engine come up alongside. When she spoke she sounded French. "I thought I'd seen a steamie on its way up," said the blue engine.

"Hello. Are you Millie?" asked Thomas.

"That's me," giggled Millie. "I run the estate railway for the Earl. And you must be Thomas."

"I am, but I don't remember seeing you before," said Thomas.

"That's hardly surprising," answered Millie. "The Earl has been away for such a long time, and I've been stuck in my shed. But I'm out again now, Thomas, and ready to roll!" But when she tried to move, she heard a clatter.

"Hold still, Millie! We're loading!" said the Earl.

"Oops, Sorry, sir," said Millie.

Thomas took a closer look at the crate that slipped off Millie's truck.

"Oh no, it's the same crate I dropped at the docks, the one with the suit of armor in it," he said.

"And very old and precious it is too…oh, uh…it's also very strong, Thomas. No harm done," Reassured the Earl.

"Put the armor up here with me, boys," he told the workmen. "He can be my guard!" Thomas and Millie laughed as the Earl boarded the front truck.

"Thank you, Thomas," he said as the armor was placed next to him. "Ohh…If only I had King Godred's Golden Crown. That's the one thing that's missing to complete my plan."

"Goodbye, Thomas!" whistled Millie as she pulled away from the platform.

"Goodbye!" called Thomas. Thomas was left wondering about the Earl's plan…and the King's Golden Crown. But he also wondered deeply about Millie.

"She seems cute…she looks like a Narrow Gauge engine…what would Luke think?" he asked himself. "I must tell her about him." And so, Thomas worked hard the rest of the day, with a plan to meet her again. That evening, he visited the Earl's estate once more and found Millie looking at the ruins if the castle.

"Hello again, Millie," he said.

"Hello, Thomas," said Millie. "What brings you here again?"

Thomas answered, "I didn't get the chance earlier, Millie. But meeting you made me think about something…I have a friend at the Blue Mountain Quarry named Luke. He's very friendly and hard-working. He's also very innocent and approachable. Like you, he's been here for many years. Whenever you have time, would you like to meet him?"

Millie thought for some time. Meeting a new engine she hadn't heard of after idling in her shed for so long sounded like a fun idea, but she remembered she had to help the Earl.

"Well, Thomas, I'm very busy as of now, but whenever I have time, you can show me this Luke, or I can meet him," she said.

"Well, Millie. I'm sure you'll really like him," said Thomas. "Have a good evening." And he set off on his way, thinking about how Luke and Millie might go together.

_"Luke and Millie…that sounds like a good combination,"_ he thought to himself with a smile.

One evening, at the Vicarstown rolling bridge, a certain silver streamlined engine came back to the island. It was Spencer. He pompously shot past Hiro on his way around the railway.

"Spencer!" exclaimed Hiro.

Meanwhile at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas had just returned and was ready to sleep. He looked at the berths…James, Henry, an empty berth, Percy, Gordon, another empty berth…and a closed berth.

"Where is Emily?" he whispered as he turned himself around. "And where's Edward?" After he backed into the berth between Henry and Percy, he waited for Edward or Emily to come back…until he heard a sleek whistle. When he saw Spencer, he now knew there was only one berth left. Although Thomas loved Edward's kind, friendly approach, he had his mind on someone else.

_"Please come back first, Emily. I love you,"_ Thomas thought as Spencer backed into the berth beside Gordon.

"Back so soon?" asked Gordon.

"The Earl has borrowed me again from the Duke and Duchess of Boxford, to act as his private engine," said Spencer, with pride.

"Most engines have really useful work to do," teased Gordon. "Such as…pulling express trains, or hauling heavy goods." The engines laughed. Even Thomas liked Gordon's jokes sometimes.

"Being a private engine IS really useful, Gordon," Spencer teased back. "Earls and Dukes only appreciate the finest engines…and the fastest."

"YOU'RE not the fastest, Spencer," bragged Gordon. "I am! That's why I pull the express!" Now Gordon was wrong. He was the fastest engine…on Sodor, but Spencer was one of the fastest engines in the world.

"I'm obviously faster than you are," he said. "Can't you see? I'm streamlined!" He moved a yard or two out of the sheds to show off.

"Maybe you should have a race to prove it," suggested Percy.

"I'd be delighted," said Spencer.

"So would I," agreed Gordon. "Uh, first thing in the morning shall we say?"

"Hmm…agreed!" Spencer declared out loud and blew his whistle. With that, he and the other engines fell asleep…except Thomas. He didn't like hearing brags or whistles so late at night. He was just about to tell Spencer off when he heard a slight creek just past Spencer. He looked and saw the closed berth's doors slowly opening, followed by a yawn and a puffing sound…out came Emily. Thomas was very happy that she was there all the time, but she looked tired and slightly irritated.

"Hey. What's all the quarreling and whistling about? Can't a queen be allowed to sleep?" she asked groggily.

"Oh, Emily!" whispered Thomas, surprised. "I'm so sorry. Blame it on Gordon and Spencer. They were quarreling about speed…again. I didn't know you were here all along. I'm so happy you're here…but where's Edward? Where will he sleep?"

"Don't worry, Thomas," said Emily in a more cheerful manner. "He told me he's spending the night at his station…he said he was wondering if Spencer would be coming back, what with the Earl and plans going on."

Thomas looked and could see he had Percy and two big engines dividing him from Emily. He didn't want her to sleep beside the smuggest engine Sodor had ever seen, and he got an idea.

"This might take a little time…why don't I get this big, silver diesel out of his berth and I'll sleep right by you?" he asked.

Emily blushed and smiled. "Aww, thank you, sweetie," she whispered. Thomas slowly puffed out of his berth and waited for the turntable to turn to him. Then he turned to Percy's berth. He coupled to Percy and very gently pulled him out of his berth. He moved so slowly and carefully, Percy didn't wake up. Thomas waited for the table to turn back to his own berth and he backed Percy gently into the berth beside Henry.

"Sleep well, Percy," whispered Thomas. Then he turned round on the turntable to Spencer. Thomas came toward Spencer very quietly.

_"He's rather big and heavy…but I pulled Emily and her flour to the bakery,"_ Thomas thought. _"Let's do this!"_

He coupled to Spencer and pulled hard. Despite the hard work Thomas had to start moving, Spencer didn't wake up either. At last, Thomas had Spencer placed on the turntable. Thomas looked carefully. He could see that the turntable wouldn't be able to move. So he backed off the table and let it turn Spencer to the empty berth beside Percy. Now how was Thomas going to shunt Spencer into that berth?

"Be back in a couple of puffs," he whispered to Emily. He quietly reversed away from the sheds, back to the nearest signal box in the yards. He whistled quickly and feebly, so as not to be too noisy. Luckily the signalman was still there and switched Thomas to the right track. Thomas winked back at the signalman to thank him and quietly came back to the sheds.

When he arrived, everyone, except Emily was still asleep.

"Alright, Spencer," whispered Thomas. "In you go." And he gently pushed Spencer inside the berth.

Emily, meanwhile was absolutely fascinated by Thomas' generosity and his strength. She wasn't sure but she felt like there were red and pink hearts floating around her as she stared at Thomas in a dreamy state. After Spencer was in his berth, Thomas turned round and backed into the berth beside Emily.

"Whew," he whispered, feeling quite tired after that pulling and pushing. "Well, Emily, that took a while, but now that I'm beside you, are you happy?"

"Yes, Thomas," she smiled. "I just can't get over how sweet you are. You always want to make sure I'm comfortable and happy."

"It's the least I can do to keep being your best friend after saving you, Emily," Thomas smiled back. "I'm simply being your guide and protector."

"For that, I'm forever thankful, Thomas," whispered Emily as she began to yawn. This told Thomas she was ready to sleep.

"Goodnight…Queen Emily," Thomas whispered as he fell asleep.

Emily giggled softly. "Goodnight…Sir Thomas," she whispered as she fell asleep too with her lovely smile.

When the sun rose over Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas woke up first. He saw that Gordon, Spencer and Percy were not home.

_"Gordon and Spencer have gone for the race. Thank goodness they didn't stay and bother Emily,"_ he thought as he looked over to her. She was just waking up. As she opened her eyes, she smiled contently at the morning light, then turned her sweet look to Thomas. He felt a shiver rush through his boiler.

"Uh…Good morning, Emily," he said nervously.

"Good morning, Thomas," murmured Emily. "Where are Gordon and Spencer?"

"On their race. Remember?" smirked Thomas. Emily looked back and remembered the quarrel she heard the previous night.

"Spencer is faster than Gordon. Why must they race?" she asked.

"They're both big, bossy and blind," joked Thomas. "Percy must be preparing the coaches. I simply don't care who wins."

That made Emily laugh. Thomas loved her laughter. It sounded so cute and beautiful.

"Your laugh sounds cute," he said shyly. Emily giggled. "Thank you," she said, blushing lightly.

* * *

At Knapford Station, Percy brought Gordon his coaches. "Where's Spencer? I thought we were having a race. The express always leaves on time," said Gordon.

"Maybe he was scared you would win," said Percy.

"That sounds about right," laughed Gordon. But then… "Morning, Gordon! Shall we see who's the fastest then?" Spencer whistled smugly through Knapford Station…with no coaches of his own.

"Wait! That's not fair! No one said we were starting!" Gordon complained as he whistled and started to move.

Gordon hurried after Spencer, but it was hard to build up speed with four heavy coaches behind him! Spencer switched across two lines. But Gordon kept going. Foot by foot, yard by yard he gained. He was just catching up when Spencer pulled off the mainline towards the Earl's estate.

"Where are you going?! I nearly caught up with you!" called Gordon.

"Never mind, I'm afraid I have to be really useful now! Perhaps we can have proper race another day!" Spencer called as he disappeared. Gordon was cross.

Later that day, Percy was shunting trucks at Brendam Docks, when he noticed an engine hiding behind some crates. He thought it was Thomas and wanted to have fun.

"Boo!" he called. The engine who jumped in shock…was Spencer. "I say! What was that for?" he gasped.

"Oh! I thought you were Thomas. What are you doing here, Spencer? Have you come to shunt trucks?" asked Percy.

"I certainly have not! I've brought the Earl here on important business with the Dock Manager," bragged Spencer.

"Oh, too bad. I thought they were making you a goods engine now so you could be really useful," teased Percy. Spencer just scoffed.

In the afternoon, Thomas met Spencer at the Blue Mountain Quarry. "Hello, Spencer. Have you come to carry stone?"

"Certainly not! I am on important business with the Earl," bragged Spencer, again.

"OK, Spencer! Back up!" ordered the Earl. And Spencer, begrudgingly, backed up to a train of stone.

"You ARE pulling stone, Spencer. That is really useful," teased Thomas.

"This is no job for a splendid engine like me."

"Earls only appreciate the finest engines. Remember?"

As Thomas watched Spencer go, he couldn't help wondering what the Earl wanted with big blocks of stone…but then something else came to mind…he wanted to tell Luke some words about Millie. He looked around until he found him in his own shed.

"Hello, Luke," he said. "It's been some time."

"Hello, Thomas," said Luke. "What brings you here?"

Thomas didn't want to give too much away, but he had to say something. "Luke…I have met a new engine who works for the Earl. An engine I never knew to work on this island…right now, the Earl is very busy with this engine…but when the time comes…I think you will meet this engine and you will be extremely happy. I must go now. The Fat Controller has given me an important job to do." As Thomas went on his way, Luke just stood there and thought deeply about what Thomas just said.

Meanwhile, Thomas was now back to being curious about the Earl's plans. The other engines were curious too.

"I heard he ordered rails and sleepers. He must be laying a new railway line," said Percy at Knapford Station.

"You don't need blocks of stone to build a railway line, Percy," sighed Gordon.

"You do if you're building a bridge, Gordon," corrected Hiro. "Or a new station."

"But why would he want a station at the estate, Hiro? Hardly anybody goes there," said Emily. Just then, Toby arrived with a very important message. "Henry's broken down," he said.

"Don't tell me he needs Special Coal again!" groaned Gordon, recalling the confusions Henry had gone through for several years even after his accident.

"No, Gordon. That was fixed years ago. He's burst his safety valve, and the Fat Controller wants Percy to pull his heavy goods train to the Earl's estate," said Toby. Percy was excited.

"Bust my buffers! I'm going to the Earl's estate! I can find out what he's really building!" and Percy steamed out of the station.

"But Percy isn't strong enough to pull a heavy goods train, Toby," Emily said.

"I'm only delivering a message," Toby replied. After Toby left, Thomas came into the station. He was happy to see that Emily was there.

"Hello, Emily. What's on your mind?" he asked.

"The Fat Controller wants Percy to pull Henry's goods train. His safety valve burst," said Emily.

"That's strange. The Fat Controller asked me to go to the docks for that goods train," said Thomas.

Emily became rather puzzled. "He asks you…then he asks Percy? What is his plan?"

"I'll go and find out, Emily. He might explain everything," said Thomas. "And…I'll miss you."

Emily blushed. "I-I'll miss you too, Tommy," she replied.

_"Ah, please,"_ thought Thomas. "Goodbye, Emily," he said as he left the station. Emily watched him with a longing look and a sigh of admiration. She still couldn't get over how much he had given her over the years. She liked him a lot since first meeting him and she loved him even more after he brought back her kindness and joy. She wondered when they'd ever come together in true love.

As Thomas made his way to the docks, his mind began wondering about Emily again. So much time had passed since he saved her and he couldn't be happier for her…and he too wondered when they'd finally expressed their inner love.

Percy arrived at Brendam Docks. Poor Henry was stuck on a siding with his broken safety valve. Percy was very excited. He had never pulled a long, heavy goods train before.

"Hello, James," he peeped. "Guess what…I'm going to the Earl's estate. The Fat Controller has asked me to take this heavy goods train there."

"Think again, Percy," said James smugly. "The Fat Controller asked ME to pull this train, not you."

"But Toby said that I was to take it," Percy replied.

"Toby! Since when does he tell other engines what to do?"

"Hello everyone!" Called Thomas' voice from behind. "The Fat Controller has sent me to take this heavy goods train to the Earl's estate."

"But he's already asked ME," protested Percy.

"No Percy," quarreled James. "You said Toby asked you." James stubbornly backed into position to pull the long train.

"James, that's not fair!" so Thomas and Percy pulled in front of him.

"Get out of the way!" ordered James. "This is my train!"

"No James! The Fat Controller said-"

"Hello, Percy, Thomas and James." The Fat Controller was right there. "I'm glad to see you're all ready to go."

"Ready to go, sir?" asked Percy, puzzled.

"Tell them to move, sir," complained James. "They're blocking my way."

"Please sir," said Thomas. "Tell us who you'd like to pull this heavy goods train."

"Why all of you, of course. This train is much too heavy for any of you to pull alone. You'll have to work together."

"Together?" said the three engines one after the other. So Percy, Thomas and James were all coupled to the trucks and off they went to the Earl's estate.

As they went along, the trucks played their usual tricks but that didn't stop the engines. After working with trucks for so many years, they were not going to be stopped anytime soon. Dealing with the trucks' silly games seemed to become routine for most engines and no matter what, they always managed to get their trains delivered on time. All Percy and James thought about was getting to the Earl's estate on time and that is what kept them going. As for Thomas, he kept thinking about Emily. Memories about her were fuel to his fire and he smiled to himself as they worked hard up Gordon's Hill.

"We can do it!" puffed James.

"We WILL do it!" huffed Thomas and Percy together. Soon they came to the top and sped down the other way. It looked a little scary to all three engines but they made their way down the side track safely and huffed on. At last, they came to the hill leading up to the estate. The trucks thought this would be a good chance for more fun.

"Hold back. Hold back!" they cried. "Come on! Faster!" huffed Thomas. "Higher, higher!" Wheel-turn by wheel-turn, the three engines struggled, panted and steamed up the hill.

As the engines approached the Earl's estate, they saw new rails and wooden sleepers, stone and building material. Then Thomas saw his old friend, Jack the front loader.

"Jack! What are you doing here?" called Thomas.

"Hello, Thomas," replied Jack. "I'm helping the Earl with his new building project! He's restoring Ulfstead Castle."

"Fizzling Fireboxes!" gasped Thomas.

"So that's what he's building," said James.

"Wow," breathed Percy.

"I'd better get back to my job. There's still a lot of work to do," said Jack.

The heavy goods train was split up. James and Percy took the building materials, while Thomas shunted the crates and containers onto a new siding. He was just nearing the platform when the Earl stopped him.

"What? Hold on now," said the Earl. "That crate was meant to go to the Steamworks, Thomas," said the Earl.

"The Steamworks? Oh," said Thomas. "But what is it, sir?"

"Is it something for Victor?" asked James.

"For Victor? Can I take it? Please, sir? Please?" peeped Percy.

"I can take it!" smiled Thomas.

"I think the Earl would prefer a splendid engine like me to take it, wouldn't you, sir?" The Earl chuckled as he boarded Thomas.

"If you're all so curious, why don't we take it together?" he asked.

"You don't need three engines to pull one flatbed," said James.

"OK, James. You can stay behind," peeped Percy as he joined Thomas.

"No! I want to go too! Wait for me!" called James. The three engines ended up going altogether with the special crate and the Earl. As they went along he line, Thomas thought about Emily again. _"What will she think about this?"_ he thought to himself.

At the Steamworks, Victor was surprised to see Thomas, James and Percy.

"Hello, my friends. What is this thing in a crate that takes so many engines to deliver?" he asked with a grin.

"We don't know what it is, Victor. The Earl told us," said Thomas.

"I love a good surprise…" declared the Earl. Kevin got such a shock, all the wheels on his hook slipped off and clattered on the floor of the Steamworks.

"Don't you?" finished the Earl as he stepped down from Thomas. "Take her up, boys!" he ordered. The crate was slowly lifted up and Thomas, James and Percy could see a very old, very interesting machine-like form slowly turning around.

"Wow," they said together.

"Meet my friend…Stephen!" said the Earl as the face came into view.

"Surprise!" said the old, strange machine, as a part of him fell off causing him to blush with embarrassment.

"Hello, Stephen," smiled Thomas.

"I've never seen an engine like you before," breathed Percy.

"You mean an engine with woodworm and rust holes?" chuckled Stephen. "No one's seen me in a long time. I haven't turned my wheels in years."

"I'm not surprised," said Thomas.

"You know, I think there's something wrong with your boiler," said Percy. Indeed, his boiler did look old, rusty and idle.

"And your funnel. Not to mention your paintwork," added James, looking at the bumpy, aged funnel and dusty appearance of the engine.

"There's a bit of work to do, but he's beautiful isn't he?" said the Earl.

"Well, he will be soon," promised Victor. "Don't worry, my friend. We'll have you fixed up in to time."

"Well, goodbye for now," called Stephen as he was lifted away to be checked over.

"Goodbye. See you later! Goodbye, Stephen!" called Thomas, Percy and James. After Stephen was lifted away, Thomas turned to the Earl.

"Sir, I was wondering…well, all the engines are wondering, what is your plan? Why are you building the castle? And laying new tracks? And what's inside all your crates?"

The Earl laughed. "All in good time, Thomas. You'll find out soon enough. It's all part of my big surprise!"

"What about Stephen, sir? Is he part of the big surprise too?" asked Thomas.

"I have a special job for Stephen. A very special job, but it's best not to say anything to him just yet, Thomas. There's a lot of work to do before he can start," answered the Earl.

"OK, sir. I won't say anything. I promise."

The three engines continued to work until sunset. When they returned to Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas was happy to see Emily was there…and Spencer was not. After settling into their berths, Thomas, Percy and James told the other engines about Stephen.

"What did he look like again?" asked Gordon.

"He had wood around his boiler, and a crooked funnel."

"And he looked like he'd been left in a scrapyard for a long time too," said James.

"He's an old design. Older than any engine I'd ever seen."

"I'd like to see him for myself," said Edward.

"So would I," added Emily. So all the engines agreed to meet Stephen the next day. After most of them fell asleep, Thomas looked over to Emily. She didn't look tired yet. She looked anticipated and excited to meet Stephen…and he got an idea.

"Emily?" he whispered. "Wanna watch the night with me?"

"Sure, Thomas," Emily whispered. She quietly moved out of her berth and Thomas came out too. On this night, there were some clouds in the sky. As they slowly passed through the moonlight, they formed blackish-blue patterns against the starlight. It looked very intriguing to Thomas and Emily. Almost magical. Thomas looked over to Emily.

"Are you excited about meeting Stephen?" he asked.

"I really am, Thomas," she smiled. "An engine older than anything you've ever seen…that sounds most interesting."

"Oh, he is quite a…uh…an icon, I may say," Thomas said. "Must be one of the oldest engines in the world…maybe older than Edward."

Emily was rather excited indeed. She and Thomas continued to watch the night for a while longer. Eventually, Thomas and Emily could feel sleep tugging at their energy and they both started to yawn and flicker their eyes.

"Ohh…" Emily yawned softly. "I feel drowsy…"

"As do I," yawned Thomas. "Let's turn in." So the two engines quietly reversed back into their berths to sleep.

"Goodnight, Thomas. Sleep well," whispered Emily.

"Goodnight, Emily. Happy dreams," whispered Thomas as they both fell asleep, looking forward to the next morning.

* * *

The next morning, Thomas woke up first, then looked to his left…and saw Emily smiling pleasantly at the morning. He knew she was excited to meet Stephen and he wondered what he would think of her. He smiled too as he watched the sun glisten on her emerald paint.

"Ready to see Stephen, Emily?" he asked.

"Oh, I so want to meet him, Thomas," she sighed. "It's just a matter of when." Then she began to turn herself round on the turntable. Henry was still having trouble with his safety valve.

"I can't build up any steam," he sighed. Emily felt bad for Henry, but she also got an idea. She wanted to help Henry again, like she did when his tubes were leaking.

"Don't worry, Henry. I'll shunt you to the Steamworks. Victor will have you fixed up in no time." So she backed into Henry's berth and coupled on. Emily was very happy to take Henry to the Steamworks. She wanted to see the old-fashioned engine…but when she arrived, she couldn't see any engines at all.

"Hello? Anybody here?" she asked. "Hello. Up here," laughed a voice. Emily looked up and saw Stephen.

"Hello. I'm Emily. And…and this is Henry," she said.

"I'm Stephen. Pleased to meet you."

"What are you doing up there?" asked Henry.

"They're turning me into an aeroplane," said Stephen.

"Really?" beamed Emily.

"No!" laughed Stephen. "They want to examine my under carriage, and they're repairing my wheels too."

Emily wasn't the only engine who wanted to see Stephen. The rest of the Steam Team had followed to meet the ancient engine.

"Fizzling Fireboxes. What brings you all here?" asked Victor as he pulled along beneath Stephen. "Do you all need repairs?" Gordon, Edward and Toby all started to stutter and mumble as they to come up with excuses. Emily was the only one with a proper purpose for being there.

"I came here to bring Henry, Victor," said Emily. "He needs his safety valve mended."

"Well…ahem! I was coughing soot from my funnel the other day…" started Gordon.

"My breaks feel a bit sticky, but…" said Edward.

"Actually, we all came to see Stephen, Victor," Toby concluded.

"So did we!" laughed Thomas and Percy as they stopped beneath Stephen.

"Did you really all come to see me?" asked the old engine.

"Yes Stephen," said Thomas. "We've never seen an engine like you before."

"Are you really very, very old?" asked Toby.

"Stephen is one of the first steamies ever built," Victor said.

"Victor's right. I've been around a long time, but I wasn't always this rusty either. I remember when most railways didn't have any engines, and the trains were pulled by horses. We steam engines were the latest thing and people were worried about us. But we didn't always work right. Or at all. We were brand new and experimental, but we soon proved we were stronger and faster than horses…and I was lightning-fast! They called me the 'rocket.' We used to have races. People would line the track to watch. I went to work at the mines and later, at the docks. MY pistons were pumping! I could pull full wagons at one time! Oh, but engines have changed a little since then. You new engines are so fast and so strong…that's why I don't work anymore."

"Did you ever see knights in shining armor?" asked Percy.

"No. I may be old but not that old. And before you ask, I never saw dinosaurs either."

All the engines laughed and backed out of the Steamworks.

Stephen could see that Percy looked in low spirits. "Oh, don't feel bad. What's your name?" He asked the green engine.

"I'm Percy."

"Don't feel bad, Percy. Asking questions is always a good way to learn new things." Stephen gave Percy a smile.

After meeting Stephen for the first time, Emily was rather fascinated with the story he had told. The history of the railways when horses would pull trains up until the first steam engines the railways had seen. And Percy's question about knights made her realize…she once thought she could be a queen…and since Thomas thought of her as so…he must be her own knight in shining armor. He had been so brave to help her that he could almost be her prince…if only she could hear him say he loved her. She loved him dearly but still wasn't brave enough to say the words she wanted to say for such a long time.

That night at Tidmouth Sheds, she and Thomas were talking quietly to each other.

"So Emily, did you enjoy meeting Stephen?" asked Thomas.

"He is most interesting indeed, Thomas," smiled Emily. "I didn't think horses used to pull trains before us steam engines."

"History can be very interesting and exciting, Emily. Between you and me…I think your history and mine are the most interesting. Our stories are long and capturing to the interest."

Emily thought Thomas was absolutely right. Both their stories were full of change, discovery, drama and joy.

"Speaking of history, Thomas…" she said a little nervously. "I think you're like a knight."

"Uh…how?" asked Thomas. "I'm just a tank engine. I'm not shining armor."

"But you have the bravery of a knight," encouraged Emily. "You were so brave to never give up on me when I needed your help more than anything, you still look at me as a queen and you want to protect me from trouble, just like a knight."

"Well, as I said, Emily. You are very beautiful…more beautiful than a queen. As beautiful as an angel…just like your funnel's ring."

Emily giggled softly. "Thank you, Thomas. If I'm an angel…all I'm missing is glistening white angel wings."

"You're an engine, Emily. You don't need wings to be an angel. Your emerald paint, large wheels, gold ring and your gentle, kind approach is what makes you an angel…and I really like that."

Soon, they both began to feel tired. They wished each other goodnight and fell asleep. Sometime later, they began to dream…

_Emily was at Ulfstead Castle, under a bright full moon. She was decorated with jewels along her running boards, necklaces around her funnel, and lines of gold and silver paint on her emerald livery. Thomas was facing her, wearing a shield on the sides of both of his tanks, and a knight's helmet settled cutely on his funnel. Both engines were stunned and spellbound by each other's looks under the moonlight._

_"My handsome knight…" whispered Emily._

_"My beautiful queen…" Thomas whispered back._

_"I love you, Sir Thomas," Emily smiled._

_"I love you too…your majesty," breathed Thomas. Then their lips slowly intertwined in a gentle kiss under the moon. As they kissed, they could hear an owl hoot in the sky and they felt a gentle breeze blow through the air. It was truly magical and impossibly breathtaking. When their lips released, they looked at each other with unbreakable love._

_"You're beautiful," Thomas gasped._

_"You're so gorgeous…and handsome…I love you, Thomas…" Emily whispered._

_"I love you too, Emily," Thomas breathed as they started to kiss each other again, but once again, reality began to interfere._

Thomas woke up to see Emily still asleep beside him at Tidmouth Sheds. Despite being another dream, Thomas remembered that dream from the Winter Party Special.

"Dreams do come true. Just give it time," he whispered as he fell back asleep. Emily woke up hearing slight whispers and saw Thomas.

_"Give it time,"_ she thought too. _"I love you, Thomas…my little knight,"_ she thought as she went back to sleep.

When the sun rose, Thomas and Emily woke up together.

"Good morning, Emily," said Thomas. "Stephen is still being worked on…wanna go see him again?"

"I'd love to, Thomas. But we do have work to do…we should keep the Fat Controller's railway running on time," said Emily.

"True enough," agreed Thomas. "But we should still keep Stephen company whenever we have the time."

Over the coming weeks, everyone at the Steamworks worked hard to restore the old engine. Thomas and his friends came by whenever they could. They wanted to see how the work was progressing. Soon, Stephen was shiny and new. His funnel was straightened, his boiler had been fixed, and he'd been given his own tender, a whistle and a fresh coat of paint.

"Now you look really useful again!" praised Thomas.

"You look brand-new again, Stephen! You will be really useful indeed!" beamed Emily.

Then the Fat Controller arrived. "I was wondering where you all were. I have a railway to run, and you all have work to do," he said. The other engines obeyed and prepared to leave. Thomas felt bad that Emily had to leave, but he still gave her a smile. She smiled back as she left with the other engines. Thomas was about to leave too when the Fat Controller spoke up again.

"Wait Percy. Thomas and James too. The Earl of Sodor has asked me if you could help him with a special job…I don't know what he's up to, but he's an old friend. I want to help him in any way I can."

"Thank you, sir. We'll do our best," said Thomas. Thomas and his friends were very excited, but Stephen looked a little sad.

"You're so lucky, Thomas," he said. "Being useful is very important."

"Come on, Thomas. We should go," called James. Then an idea flew into Thomas' funnel.

"Maybe I should tell Stephen the Earl has a job for him," he told James.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Thomas," replied James.

"The Earl said not to tell him yet," added Percy.

"But he looks so sad…I have to tell him. Just to cheer him up."

James and Percy wondered if Thomas was doing the right thing…but Stephen just laughed. "Are you sure about that, Thomas? I'm an antique."

"Then why did the Earl send you to the Steamworks to be repaired?" asked Thomas.

"I don't know, Thomas. But I've seen people do all sorts of things that don't make any sense…or maybe he wants to make tea in my boiler!" Stephen joked, then laughed.

"No! He has a proper job for you," beamed Thomas.

"Does he?"

"Yes! You'll see, Stephen. The Earl of Sodor is full of surprises."

While Thomas, James and Percy were slowly on their way back to the castle, Emily was passing nearby the estate. As she looked up the hill, she remembered visiting the other castle with Toby and Percy.

_"Queens are in charge and tell everybody what to do. I'd like to be a queen."_ Emily knew she couldn't be in charge like she thought she could, but she was still as beautiful as any queen. Thomas even called her a queen and that made her happy. She decided to look at some of the estate for a change of scenery. When she reached the estate's platform, she decided to idle for some time and feel the atmosphere around her. Just then, she heard a high whistle. She knew it wasn't Rosie. Coming along the line beside Emily was Millie. She was surprised indeed to see such a beautiful engine herself.

"Hello, madam," she said. "I'm Millie."

Emily was excited. "You're Millie? Hello! I'm Emily."

"Pleased to meet you, Emily," said Millie.

"Thank you," said Emily. "Do you work here?"

"Yes indeed, Emily. I'm the Earl's engine and I work on his estate. Ever since he left the island, I've been kept in my shed until his return, and I'm much happier now," explained Millie.

"I've wanted to meet you since the Earl mentioned you upon his return," said Emily. "I didn't know if you'd be big or small…but you look very sweet and lovely."

Millie blushed. "Thank you, Emily. And you look just like a queen."

"Thanks, Millie," smiled Emily. "What's it like to be really useful again?"

"I may be an old engine class," said Millie. "But when I was brought out of my shed, I felt like a brand new engine all over again."

"Well, Millie, you'll have plenty of friends to meet now," promised Emily. "You won't be feeling lonely at all when you meet my friends. There are many of us on the island who I'm sure would like to be your friends."

The two ladies continued to talk together until Millie had to start working again. "I must get back to work now," she said.

"Goodbye, Millie. It was lovely meeting you," Emily smiled.

"Goodbye, Emily. I hope to see you again soon," said Millie. And Emily went back down the hill and on her way to work. As she left the bottom of the hill, she saw Thomas, James and Percy huffing behind the other.

"Hello, you three!" she whistled.

"Hello!" the three engines all said together. Thomas felt happy seeing Emily on his way. He just wished she could have worked with him. If she could, that would have been the best way to work for him.

Percy, Thomas and James climbed up the steep track to the estate. The castle looked very different now that it was being restored.

"Wow!" exclaimed Percy. "The castle looks amazing!" added Thomas.

"We've all been working hard to get it ready," said Jack.

"Has the Earl asked us here to take all this dirt away?" inquired James. "That doesn't seem like a special job!" But then, Millie pulled up alongside James with the Earl.

"That's not your special job, James," he said. "Follow me!" So Percy, Thomas and James followed Millie towards the castle. The rails heading towards the castle were dual gauge, which allowed for standard and narrow gauge engines to travel on the same track. As they puffed towards the castle, the drawbridge lowered down, revealing the inside of the castle. Once they entered the castle, they were spellbound by the incredible sight before their eyes.

"Bubbling Boilers!"

"Cinders and ashes!"

"Wow!"

Percy, Thomas and James wondered what kind of special job the Earl had in mind for them.

* * *

At the Steamworks, Henry's valve had finally been fixed. He was ready to go back to his job. Stephen was eager to find out about his job too.

"Do you know what my new job is, Victor?"

"Sorry, my friend. I don't know anything about it," said Victor. Kevin didn't know either…not even Stephen's old job.

"Just be patient, my friend," smiled Victor. "I'm sure someone will come and tell you what to do."

But Stephen wasn't feeling patient. He was feeling excited. "I can't just sit around and do nothing," he exclaimed. "I'm busting with steam now! I have to get up and go!" So like a brave knight of old, Stephen set off on a quest to find his new job.

Percy, Thomas and James had already found their new job: helping the men build a roof over part of the castle. They were coupled to some flatbeds which held a tall platform that was being used to raise the roof beams. The engines would have to move it to the right place for each beam. They never had a job like this before. They would all have to work together…but deep down inside, all Thomas could think about was Emily. After catching a glimpse of her on his way up, he kept wishing she could be there helping him. But thinking about her also fueled his strength and will to get the job done with Percy and James.

Gordon was pulling the express…when Spencer came up alongside him.

"Hello, slow-coach! I'm back!" he boasted. But Gordon wasn't going to lose this chance. He pumped his pistons faster and faster so he could catch up to Spencer who was further ahead. "Racing again, are we, Gordon?"

"Yes we are, and no slipping off into a siding this time!"

"As if I do something like that!" Spencer tried to pull ahead, but Gordon kept pace with him as they raced along. Then there was trouble!

"I say! Look out!" called Spencer as he slowed down behind Gordon. There was something on the track ahead of Gordon. Stephen was puffing slowly along on Gordon's line. Gordon had to apply his brakes very quickly in order to avoid a nasty collision. He managed to slow down just in time, which allowed Spencer to shoot past.

"I win again, slow-coach!" howled Spencer.

"Oh, the Indignity! Hurry up, Stephen. I thought you were the rocket!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" said Stephen. "Hold your pistons, big fella. I'm going as fast as I can." There was nothing Gordon could do. He had to go slowly.

Back at the castle, Thomas and his friends were working together again. Percy was working harder than usual. A few tools fell and bumped off James.

"Easy Percy," he said.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wobble," peeped Percy.

"Calm down and pay attention," boasted James.

"You both need to pay attention," cautioned Thomas. Then there was trouble! Thomas started moving forward too quickly and too suddenly, causing the platform to to shake and wobble uneasily. "Thomas! Stop!" wailed Percy. All the vibrations made a roof beam come loose. It fell from the platform and kicked up a lot of dust. Luckily, no one was hurt.

"Is everyone alright?" asked Thomas.

"I am," breathed Percy.

"I'm not!" groaned James. "My paintwork is covered in dust! I need to go to the washdown!"

"You can't go to the washdown now, James. We need to carry on with our work, or the castle won't be ready in time," said Thomas.

"And I suppose my paintwork is not important," huffed James, but regardless he continued with the job.

Meanwhile Stephen had come to Brendam Docks to look for his new job. Paxton and Diesel were very surprised to see Stephen turn up.

"Who is that old fashioned engine with the wooden boiler, Paxton?" asked Diesel.

"I don't know. Shall I ask him?"

"Don't bother. Out of the way, little steamie! We have work to do here."

"Well, so do I, Mr. Oily!" retorted Stephen.

"He's Mr. Oily!" laughed Paxton. Diesel growled dreadfully.

"Stephen's the name. I'm looking for my new job."

"Here, at Brendam Docks?" asked Cranky. "Are you sure? This is no place for an old engine like you."

"Cranky's right, old timer," said Diesel. "Best keep out of the way and let the modern engines get on with their work."

"Sorry, Stephen," said Paxton, sympathetically. "Nice to meet you."

Poor Stephen felt disappointed. But if his new job wasn't at Brendam Docks, he'd just have to continue on his quest to find it.

At Ulfstead Castle, after the accident was cleared away, Thomas and his friends worked hard to complete the roof. At last, the final beam was put into place. The job was done. The workers cheered for the three engines and the Earl was very impressed with the efforts.

"I am very proud of you. You all worked marvelously together. Soon, everything will be ready for the big surprise."

"I bet I know what it is. Are you the King of Sodor, sir?" asked Percy.

"No, Percy. I'm not the King of Sodor."

"Oh? Then what is the surprise?"

"Come outside and I'll show you."

"And then, can I go to the washdown, Sir?" asked James.

"Of course you can, James, of course you can," the Earl answered. James felt better.

Stephen was heading up to the Blue Mountain Quarry. "There's always plenty of work for extra engines in a quarry," he said optimistically. But the Blue Mountain Quarry was much bigger and noisier than any quarry Stephen had ever seen before.

"I'm Stephen. I'm looking for my new job. Could it be here?" He asked Skarloey and Luke.

"Well, I'm not sure, really," said Skarloey.

"We could always use another engine," added Luke.

"But are you really strong enough for this kind of work?" asked Rheneas.

"Strong? I used to pull four wagons at a time when I worked at the mines. Give me a chance and you'll see I want to be really useful again."

"OK then, no harm in that," Skarloey and Rheneas agreed. Stephen was coupled to a long line of trucks loaded with slate.

"Take it away, Stephen," said Skarloey. Stephen puffed and pulled as hard as he could. But they were too heavy. The men uncoupled one of the trucks and Stephen tried again...and again…and again, until Stephen finally managed to pull one truck forward. "There we go I told you I could do it. Now watch how fast I can go!"

"Be careful on the corners, Stephen!" warned Luke. "Look out!" added Rheneas.

But it was too late. As Stephen came to the bend, the heavy truck pushed him forward, and nearly ran him off the rails!

"I'm sorry Stephen, you seem like a nice engine, but I don't think there's a job for you here," said Skarloey.

"The wagons I pulled at the mines weren't as heavy as the ones you have here. They were a lot smaller too. Do you know of any mines around here?" asked Stephen.

"Oh, well there used to be a mine near Ulfstead Castle ruins, but I don't think anyone works there anymore."

"Maybe I'll take a look for myself. Goodbye." Stephen's quest to find his new job was not over yet.

Back at the Earl's estate, Thomas, James and Percy were amazed to see what was inside the Earl's crates, there were thrones and catapults, flags and tapestries, old statues, shields and sets of armor from all over the world!

"Oh, Emily," Thomas whispered to himself. "If only you could see everything now..."

"Look, Thomas. More metal men! Thomas, that one's moving! It's live."

"I think you'll find it has a helping hand, Percy!" Thomas was right. Some workmen were adjusting the armor.

"It's all part of my big surprise," said the Earl onboard Millie. "I am re-opening Ulfstead Castle to the public. Visitors will come from far and wide to see my collection of medieval treasures."

"And the King's Golden Crown?" asked Thomas.

"Ah…no, Thomas. Sadly the only thing missing is King Godred's Golden Crown."

"But guess what, Thomas," chirped Millie. "Your friend, Stephen is going to be the castle guide."

"Oh, that's right!" blurted the Earl. "You can tell Stephen about his new job now if you want to, Thomas."

"And can I go to the washdown now?" asked James.

"Yes, James, of course you can!" James whistled with pride and reversed, just as Jack began to overflow a truck full of stone.

"Oh, bother," said the Earl. "I still need you three to take all those troublesome trucks away."

* * *

Hiro was very happy to be coming back to Sodor from the mainland…when all of a sudden, two very fast, very sleek engines shot past him like bullets. "Oh my!" exclaimed Hiro.

James was very happy to be having a washdown when the same sleek engines who passed Hiro shot past the washdown! "What was that?" cried James.

Gordon and Spencer were very happy to be racing each other again…when one of the sleek engines shot past.

"Who was that?" blurted Spencer.

"Don't ask me," replied Gordon. "I'd never seen-" then the other engine passed by. The two speedy engines were waiting at a red signal. They were both streamlined like Spencer. One was a New York Central Dreyfuss Hudson, with white and blue livery. The other one was a Baltimore and Ohio streamlined President Class engine with purplish-red and light grey livery.

"Hello there," said the Hudson. "I'm Connor."

"And I'm Caitlin," said the President Class engine. "We've come for the opening of Ulfstead Castle to bring passengers from the mainland."

"This is our test run and time trial," said Connor. "We're having a little race. Care to join us?"

"Uh, well…" hesitated Gordon. "I have to get back to Knapford actually."

"Yes…I'm afraid I have work to do too…we never race," bluffed Spencer.

"We're far too busy for racing," sniffed Gordon.

All four signals dropped to green. "Suit yourselves," said Connor and Caitlin as they whistled and disappeared around the bend.

Meanwhile, Emily had done some work and was visiting Blue Mountain Quarry. "Skarloey?" she asked. "Where is Luke?"

"Over here, Emily!" called Luke, resting by himself nearby. Emily came over and gave Luke some company.

"How are you after having your story cleared up?" she asked.

"Much better, Emily. I feel young again. Thomas told me something that is most interesting…about an engine working for the Earl of Sodor…"

"Oh. I've met her," said Emily. Luke's heart stood still when he heard it was a she. "I think she'd make you very happy if you met her. I won't give anything away…I want her to introduce herself to you. She's very busy, but I'm sure you'll meet her one day," promised Emily.

"Will I?" asked Luke. "I'm very busy here too. This quarry is pretty much my home."

"You'll meet her. Just be patient. All dreams come true, that's what I believe," said Emily. "Goodbye, Luke."

"Goodbye, Emily," said Luke. Now he was very lost in thought…could this be what Emily was talking about after Thomas cleared up the conflict between Victor and Luke? Could he have a special friend of his own? All Luke could do was wait and hope.

Stephen was on the sloping of the castle…when he noticed the track to the old mine.

"Right. This may well be my last chance. Best try to make a good show of myself," he said. Stephen made his way along the overgrown track, but when he finally reached the entrance to the mine, he found it was boarded up.

"It's true…no one works here anymore. Thomas was wrong. There isn't a job for me anywhere, I'm too slow, old and weak."

Thomas and Percy were ready to push the troublesome trucks loaded with dirt away. The Earl thought they were too heavy for two small engines alone.

"I must call Sir Topham," he said. "I'll ask him to send James back to help." But Thomas didn't want to wait for James to come back. "I'm sure Percy and I can manage, sir," said Thomas. He wanted to tell Stephen all about his new job. As they started off, Percy became very cautious about something.

"Hold on, Thomas! Shouldn't one of us be at the front?" asked Percy. "What happens when we get to the top of the slope?"

But it was too late! The troublesome trucks were already on the slope. They started to pull forward, dragging Thomas and Percy behind them!

"Cinders and ashes!" shouted Thomas. The troublesome trucks were too heavy to stop! "Faster, faster!" they yelled. They continued to plunge down the slope…right down the overgrown track! Stephen could hear a noise coming toward him.

"That sounds like…a runaway train!" he shouted as he lunged forward. There was only one way to go. Stephen broke right through the wooden barrier of the mine. This sent a huge body of boulders crumbling down from above and blocking the entrance, stopping the runaway train.

"Cinders and ashes, Percy! That was a close call," gasped Thomas. He and Percy pulled the heavy trucks back again, feeling very relieved. They didn't realize that poor Stephen was now trapped in the mine! Only his funnel was left standing, all on its own.

The Island of Sodor was buzzing with excitement of the Grand Opening of Ulfstead Castle. Visitors were hurrying across from the mainland to be there. All the engines were working hard to make sure everything was ready.

Thomas went to the Steamworks to find Stephen.

"Hello, Victor. Where's Stephen?"

"I don't know, Thomas," said Victor. "He left in quite a hurry. He kept asking about his new job.

"His new job? He didn't even know what it was! Where could he have gone?" Thomas was worried about Stephen…and when he told James and Percy, they were worried too.

"See Thomas? The Earl warned you not to say anything to Stephen…now look what's happened!" said James.

"Nothing's happened. We'll find him," Thomas replied. So Thomas James and Percy set off to find Stephen. They asked everyone they met that'd they'd seen him.

"Sorry, Percy. I honestly can't say I've seen him," sighed Millie. "I don't think he came to the castle," said Jack.

James asked Cranky at the Docks. "That old fashioned engine? Eyah, he was here, James. Diesel had to tell him to keep out of the way."

"He seemed like a nice engine, Thomas," said Luke. "But the trucks were too heavy for him." Nobody knew where Stephen was…and it was starting to get dark.

As darkness clouded over the island, Stephen was lost and bewildered in the mine. ""Hello! Can anybody hear me out there? Help! Help!" Calling all engines! Calling all engines! Be on the lookout for Stephen. I mean, me! HELP!" he whistled.

"Looks like I have to find my own way out of here before I run out of steam." Stephen raced around the old mine…but he couldn't find another way out. Then as he hurried around a bend, he bashed into some rocks! It started a rock slide.

* * *

Back at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas told the other engines that Stephen was missing.

"He couldn't have gone very far, Thomas," said Gordon, being sensible for a change.

"But he might be in danger," worried Thomas.

"Well you shouldn't have told him he had a job when he didn't!" huffed Gordon.

"But Stephen DOES have a job to do for the Earl!" insisted Thomas. "We all have to find him and make sure he's safe!"

Most of the engines fell asleep, ready to help Stephen the next morning, but Thomas and Emily were more worried. They stared at the night sky in deep thought.

"Maybe it was me," Thomas thought with guilt. "I shouldn't have told him about his job, otherwise he wouldn't have gone looking for it and got lost. The Earl told me not to say anything too soon…but I wanted to cheer Stephen up so he'd be happy.

"Don't blame yourself, Thomas," Emily said gently. "You wanted to cheer him up, and that was a very kind thing to do. Making someone happy is the best thing a friend can do…and you are the best friend I ever had."

"Thanks, Emily," murmured Thomas. "Tomorrow, we'll have to look long and hard to find Stephen and bring him back in time for Ulfstead Castle's opening."

"We'll find him, Thomas," said Emily. "We always figure out the problem and we always prevail if we work together and don't give up."

"For now, we should sleep, Emily…you and I can sleep together, now that we have each other's company…I still miss you when I work at the estate."

"So do I," whispered Emily. "Goodnight, Thomas. I'm happy you're home every night."

"Goodnight, Emily. See you tomorrow," whispered Thomas. Yet again, after falling asleep, Thomas and Emily began to dream...

_Emily was on an old barren track. All that was around her was blank ground, dust and stone. The sky was cloudy and sunless. There was nothing to be seen._

_"Hello?!" she called with fright. "Anybody?" No one replied. Emily was lost with no one to help her or keep her company…until she heard a very faint sound._

_"Hello?" she called again. The noise grew louder and clearer. Emily looked down the straight railway line ahead of her…she could see a very faint light appearing in the very far distance. She could see a tiny speck of blue…then she heard a whistle, and a puffing sound…as the form came closer and closer, Emily gained more and more hope. She closed her eyes and waited for the engine to come right up to her…until the noise stopped just in front of her…she opened her eyes and saw…Thomas._

_"Thomas!" she cried happily. "How did you find me out here?"_

_"My memories about you led me to you, Emily…I could never forget you," whispered Thomas._

_"We might be the only engines out here in this deserted land," whispered Emily. "But you are the best friend to be lost with. I would not want to be lost with anyone else except you!"_

_"I can say the same about you, Emily…I love you," whispered Thomas._

_Emily gasped and started to cry with joy. "Oh, Thomas! I love you too! I could stay here and kiss you forever!"_

_"So could I," said Thomas, giving her an inviting smile. Then, they both started kissing each other with no one around. Although they were lost together, being lost in love was the best and only way to be. It couldn't be more perfect as Emily felt something in her mouth…Thomas had let his tongue into her mouth and was now gently touching her tongue with it. It felt so warm, soothing and amazing. Emily moved her tongue with Thomas' as the clouds parted and revealed a bright blue sky and a warming sun._

_"I love you, Thomas…I love you so much!" Emily gasped with joy._

_"I love you too, Emily. I love you more than anything else in the world," Thomas said happily. As they continued to kiss each other, nothing could be more perfect…until the dream was done._

Thomas woke up once again, seeing Emily sleeping peacefully beside him. Once again, he was frustrated over being teased by a dream, but that dream did give him a lot of strength and determination to find Stephen. He thought back to the dream.

"Thank you," he whispered as he fell asleep again. Emily woke up and saw Thomas asleep, smiling.

_"I wonder if he was dreaming what I dreamt…That was such a wonderful dream! Please come true! I love you Thomas,"_ she thought as she looked at the sky. She was ready to help Stephen whenever she had to, and she had a knight in shining armor who wanted to find him too. Perhaps some medieval spirit was within the Steam Team.

Back in the mine, as the dust cleared, Stephen saw an old wooden chest amongst the fallen rocks.

"I'll just push it out of the way," he said to himself. When he did so, it rolled over and opened. Out came a magnificent glow!

"Wobbling wagons!" gasped Stephen.

The next morning, Thomas woke up all the engines early. He had only one thing on his mind.

"Come on, steamies! Get those boilers bubbling! We need to find our friend Stephen!" he whistled. James and Percy came out of their berths and Emily was just about to follow…

"Thomas, James, Percy? Where all you all going?" said a voice. It was the Fat Controller.

"Sorry, sir, but the Earl of Sodor's new engine Stephen has gone missing. We have to find him!" Just then, the Earl arrived.

"Has anyone seen Stephen?" he asked. "Victor says he left the Steamworks and hasn't come back! I need him for the opening of Ulfstead Castle, tomorrow!"

"Oh…I say," said the Fat Controller.

"Please sir," said Thomas. "May James, Percy and I help with the search?"

"Very well Thomas. I shall assign your jobs to other engines," agreed the Fat Controller.

"Thank you sir!" smiled Thomas. "Oh yes," added the Earl. "Thank you, Sir Topham."

"And I shall also alert the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre," promised the Fat Controller.

Captain was soon out on the water, searching all along the coasts of Sodor while Harold searched from above. Thomas, Percy and James all searched together. The other engines searched where they would, continuously calling Stephen's name and hoping for a response.

Emily was looking around the island herself in the hopes of finding Stephen when she suddenly came to a red signal and saw the two streamliners. Emily had never seen such engines in her life. She slowed down and carefully came up beside them. She wondered if they'd be nice engines to talk too. They certainly looked important.

"H-hello," she said slowly.

Connor looked over to Emily. "Afternoon, milady," he said pleasantly. "I'm Connor."

"And I'm Caitlin. We're streamliners from the mainland," said Caitlin.

"Streamliners? Very interesting," said Emily. "I'm Emily…Sodor's angel. I've been here for some time."

"Sodor's angel? Well, that is very true indeed. You're a lovely engine," complimented Caitlin.

"Why do they call you streamliners, Connor?" asked Emily.

"We are built in a way that lets air flow past us at great speed, letting us go faster than most engines…not to boast," said Connor with honesty.

The signal went green. "Yes," added Caitlin. "We like to race, but for now, we have a friend to find. Must be off." And they shot away in less than a second. Emily was indeed amazed by these engines. She had never seen such a shape and never did she see such speed from a steam engine…but her excitement was interrupted by her memory of Stephen.

"Must keep looking. Stephen!" she called as she went on her way again.

The engines searched every shunting yard, station and tunnel…there was no sign of Stephen anywhere.

* * *

"Got to keep puffing!" Poor Stephen was running out of steam. As he kept trying to find a way out of the mine, he found he could go no further, the mine was completely blocked by large rocks. And then he realized. "Oh, I don't believe it!" he cried. "I've turned round in a loop! This is the tunnel I came down at the start!" Wheel-turn by wheel-turn, he tried to keep going, but…

"I can't move…another…inch!" and sure enough, Stephen came to a stop. All he could do now was wait and call for help.

Thomas and Percy were looking around the bottom of the hill to the estate when Percy noticed the overgrown track. "Wait Thomas, maybe we should check down there," suggested Percy.

"We know Stephen's not there, Percy," replied Thomas. "That's the track to the old mine. We went down there when the troublesome trucks ran away."

"Maybe we should check anyway, Thomas. Just in case," said Percy.

"OK Percy, I'll go," said Thomas. "You check round the quarry again."

"Don't worry, Thomas. We'll find Stephen," smiled Percy. Thomas pushed his way along the overgrown track. "Stephen? Stephen!" he called. The last section of track was weak where the wooden supports had rotted away. Then Thomas came to the end of the line…where the entrance to the mine was blocked by the stones.

"I knew he wasn't down here," he said sadly. He was about to leave again, when he noticed something down below the track.

"It's Stephen's funnel! Stephen!" called Thomas. "STEPHEN!" he whistled loudly to see if he'd be answered.

"Thomas?" Stephen tried to whistle, but nothing came out. His boiler was almost dry.

"It's no use. Stephen's not here," said Thomas from outside. "That probably isn't even his funnel." Stephen tried to whistle again. He summoned all his energy and…he did whistle!

"Cinders and Ashes! He IS here!" exclaimed Thomas. "Don't worry, Stephen! I'm coming to rescue you! But I need help to move all these rocks." As quick as his pistons could pump, Thomas hurried to Ulfstead Castle to fetch help…then he raced back to the old mine with Jack.

"Stephen!" Thomas called "I'm back, and I brought my friend Jack! He's a front loader. We're going to get you out of there, Stephen!" But Stephen didn't answer.

"This is a job for Jack! Don't worry, Thomas. I'll get this entrance cleared for you." Jack came up to the pile of boulders and gradually dug them away from the entrance. As soon as the entrance was cleared, Thomas rushed forward.

"Be careful, Thomas," cautioned Jack. The weak track shifted under his weight, but Thomas moved bravely over it and into the mine.

"Stephen? Stephen!" he kept calling until he found him.

"Thomas! Oh, I thought you'd forgotten me!" smiled Stephen.

"You are safe now, Stephen. I've come to get you out of here."

"Really? I was thinking of taking up mining. I can't even find my way out of a tunnel. "I'm afraid you were wrong, Thomas. I'm not really useful anymore."

"Nonsense! The Earl has a job for you, Stephen," beamed Thomas. "Working on his estate!"

"A job for an old fashioned engine like me?" asked Stephen as Thomas carefully pulled him out of the mine. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," answered Thomas. "He's restored Ulfstead Castle. You're going to work there showing guests around. You'll be the Earl's new Knight in shining armor."

"Will I? Wow! Thank you for rescuing me. I wouldn't be much use as a knight if I was stuck in an old mine," joked Stephen. As they backed out into the sunlight, the Earl, James and Percy were there waiting.

"Stephen!" rejoiced the Earl. By this time, the news of Stephen's rescue had spread.

"You haven't all come to see me again, have you?" asked Stephen remembering that day at the Steamworks.

"Of course we have!" exclaimed the Earl. "YOU are a very important engine. We need to get you ready for the big day tomorrow."

"What did I tell you?" said Thomas.

"Sir, I found a big wooden chest. Inside was-" Stephen was cut short, when suddenly…the wooden supports broke underneath!

"Careful!" shouted the Earl. The rotted supports collapsed under Thomas and Stephen's weight, and Stephen's tender was dangling down from the broken rails and the weight was dragging Thomas and Stephen down.

"It's collapsing!" gasped Stephen.

"I'm slipping!" wailed Thomas.

"Brace the track! You need to brace the track!" called Stephen.

"I'm coming, Thomas!" shouted Jack as he rushed underneath Stephen's tender and tried to hold him up. "Hold strong, Jack!" called the Earl.

"Cinders and ashes!" shouted Thomas.

"Quickly, Thomas! Pull us back, he can't hold it for long!" said Stephen.

"That's it! Hurrah!" cheered the Earl. "Bravo, Jack! Bravo, Thomas! Now, we must all get ready. Tomorrow is going to be a really special day."

While James and Percy helped Stephen to the Steamworks to be repaired once again, Thomas returned to the yards and found Emily, looking very happy. She had heard the news from the other engines that Stephen had been found and rescued.

"Well done, Thomas!" she cheered. "You found Stephen, just like you hoped we would."

"Thanks, Emily. It was very exciting to help him. He found his way into an old mine, and I helped him out with Jack," said Thomas.

"I heard how Jack helped hold the breaking wood supports while you saved Stephen from falling!" gasped Emily.

"It was scary, but I didn't give into being frightened. I kept trying until he was safe," beamed Thomas.

"Well, Thomas…that really makes you a knight," said Emily kindly.

"Thanks…Queen Emily," he joked. "Now, tomorrow is the opening for Ulfstead Castle. Are you coming?"

"I really want to, Thomas," said Emily. "But I'm not sure yet. I'll see if I can come."

"If you could, it would be absolutely wonderful…anywhere is perfect for me if you're there," said Thomas.

Emily blushed. "Your sweetness never fails to make my heart flutter, Thomas," she giggled. "I hope to see you there."

"See you tomorrow, Emily," smiled Thomas as he went off on his own, thinking about the next day with anticipation and hope…

The next day was the opening of Ulfstead Castle. Guests came from all over the island, and the mainland as well. Connor, Caitlin and Spencer came by too. Thomas looked around and couldn't see Emily. He felt a little disappointed, but he didn't want to miss Stephen's arrival.

_"Please come, Emily. At least come for some time,"_ he thought to himself. Then Stephen arrived, looking good as new…and a waving knight in his riding cart.

"See, Thomas? The metal man really is alive! He's waving!" gasped Percy.

"Don't be silly, Percy. A suit of armor can't wave…what?!" He saw the knight climbing the stairs. And when it raised its helmet…

"Ta-da!" said the Earl.

"Well, not all by itself," Thomas laughed.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Engines and Coaches, I'd like to welcome you all to Ulfstead Castle!" said the Earl.

"There is still work to do, but I hope to be able to restore King Godred's Castle and grounds to their full former glory. And now let me introduce my specials team engine...Stephen!"

"You'll find that Stephen is an expert on history, having seen quite a lot of it himself, and along with Millie, he'll be more than happy to show you around Ulfstead Castle and the estate. Not only that, Stephen is responsible for finding something I thought was lost forever…King Godred's Golden Crown!" Thomas was pleased. He finally could see the long-lost crown that completed the Earl's collection, but he still felt badly for causing some of the mess.

"I'm sorry, Stephen," said Thomas. "If I hadn't said anything about your job, you would never have wondered off and got trapped in the mine."

"If it wasn't for you, I would still be trapped in there…and if I wasn't in the mine, I would never have found the King's Crown."

"Ladies and gentlemen," the Earl continued. "In the days of old, the Knights of Sodor would race between the island's castles. Today, we propose to race two of our own shining knights in armor…Connor and Caitlin!"

"Hey Spencer and Gordon," Connor spoke up, "Why don't you race too?"

"Come on, you'll love it," added Caitlin.

"A-ha! That's a splendid idea!" said the Earl. "Only if Sir Topham agrees, of course."

"Well, since we are celebrating a special occasion, maybe just this once," said the Fat Controller.

The Earl got back into Stephen's cart and he, Stephen and Millie reversed to arrange for the race. Suddenly, Thomas heard a familiar voice. "Am I late? I hope not!" It was Emily! She arrived on the line Millie and Stephen were on a few moments ago, much to Thomas' delight.

"Emily! I'm so happy you could come!"

"So am I, Thomas. It turns out your hopes did come true. Stephen looks nice and Ulfstead Castle will be fully restored…What's happening now?" asked Emily.

"Gordon, Spencer, Connor and Caitlin are going to race!" said Thomas. "I don't know who will win…and I don't care. They're all fast," joked Thomas.

"What are we waiting for? I'd like to see them off at least," laughed Emily.

As the four racers came together to be ready, Thomas, James, Percy, Stephen and Millie all watched together, Emily watched from behind.

The engines waited… and the Earl began the race. "Knights in shining armor…On your marks…get set…GO!" And the four engines raced away from the castle and down the hill. Thomas and Stephen watched from above. The four engines disappeared down the hill and out of sight.

"Who will win?" asked Stephen.

"I don't know, but I don't think it matters. They're all speeders," said Thomas. "Speed isn't everything. I'm happy you're back, Stephen." And Thomas left to find Emily.

After some time, Thomas and Emily saw the four racers come back and the Earl rewarded the positions.

"Fourth place: Gordon," he began. Thomas and Emily laughed quietly to each other. But the crowd still applauded for Gordon's efforts.

"Third place: Spencer."

"I told you he was faster than Gordon," Thomas joked to Emily. "Of course he is," she chuckled.

"Second place: Caitlin." Caitlin smiled to herself. Being a streamliner did indeed give her a good position for races.

"And first place: Connor." Connor smiled with pride while the crowd cheered loudly for him. After the crowd settled, Connor and Caitlin were ready to go back to the mainland. While their passengers were boarding, Emily came up to them again.

"Connor? Caitlin?" she asked.

"Yes?" they both replied.

"It was wonderful to meet such unique engines like yourselves. You must be very proud engines on your railway…and really useful."

"Thank you, Emily," said Caitlin. "We do enjoy a race, but we always try to be really useful too."

"Farewell, Emily. Perhaps we will meet again one day," said Connor as the guards whistle blew. Then he and Caitlin wheeshed away in a flash.

Emily also expressed her pleasure to Millie. "It was lovely meeting you, Millie. You are so quaint and unique to me."

"Thank you, Emily," smiled Millie. "You really are a lovely engine yourself. I hope to meet you again one day."

Emily smiled and went to see Stephen once more. "Stephen…you look better than ever. I wish you a wonderful life on Sodor, and may you be really useful for the Fat Controller's railway."

"Thank you, Emily," said Stephen. "I have a new life again and I'm ready to work again." As he slowly huffed away, Thomas came up beside Emily.

"Well," he said. "This has been quite an experience…four new engines to meet, a restored castle…an entire estate for an Earl…what else could there be?"

"I don't know, Thomas. But this has been very interesting and fun. But I'm much happier now," smiled Emily.

"Why?" asked Thomas.

"Now you won't be busy here anymore…we won't be apart for so long anymore. I won't feel lonely now."

"Neither will I, Emily," said Thomas. "Let's go home…together."

"Of course, cutie," blushed Emily. And together, the two special friends huffed steadily down the hill and back home. As they went along, they thought deeply about their relationship. It had been going wonderfully for such a long time, but they still had dreams they had to follow to make their relationship absolutely perfect. But as dreams do come true, they had faith and confidence in each other that they'd come together unlike any engine ever did before.

* * *

And the record has been broken once again, ladies and gentlemen. 14,000+ words, the longest thing I have ever published, sweet Jesus! There were quite a number of LukexMillie teases in this chapter, weren't there? It's coming soon guys, after this I promise we'll get to Luke and Millie's story. Speaking of which, we're reaching the end of this folks, only three more chapters, can you believe it? Only three left. The first of the final three chapters is one of my most anticipated chapters in the entire story. We're heading into the glorious Season 17 with my favorite episode of said season, "No Snow for Thomas." Are you excited? I know I am, so leave your reviews and I will see you soon.


	28. No Snow for Thomas

After almost a half-years' time since the restoration of Ulfstead Castle and the presentation of Stephen, it was winter time on the Island of Sodor. The wind was cold and it looked like it would snow very soon. So all the engines had to wear their snowploughs.

"Hello, Edward! All ready for the snow?" peeped Percy.

"Oh yes, Percy. Better to be safe than sorry," called Edward.

But Thomas didn't like wearing his snowplough. So he puffed into a siding and did something very cheeky.

"I can leave my snowplough here and pretend I can't find it," he said. So Thomas played a trick on his driver. He told him that the snowplough didn't fit and had to be removed.

"Now I won't have to wear it anymore," said Thomas as he puffed away. As he huffed along, his driver turned to his fireman.

"Do you think it's a little strange that after so many years, including the last incident with Emily…Thomas still hasn't learned?" he asked.

"Well, Bob," said the fireman. "This might teach him a lesson. Without his snowplough, he may get stuck…just like he did before when Bertie and Terence had to help him."

"Perhaps you're right," replied the driver. "Maybe one more incident will help him learn sense…"

Thomas puffed back to Tidmouth Sheds. Only Emily was there, wearing her snowplough. She watched as Thomas reversed into the berth beside her.

"Thomas? Where's your snowplough?" Emily asked inquisitively.

"I can't find it. If it snows, I'll just have to go out without it," he replied. Emily felt a slight sense of sadness as she remembered bossing Thomas to get his snowplough and didn't want to do so again now that she had been saved, but she still didn't like Thomas' cheekiness.

"Thomas, snowploughs are important. Even I don't like how heavy and uncomfortable they can be, but why do you still complain…after pulling me and my flour?" Emily was still spellbound by Thomas's strength then, but didn't understand his dislike for snowploughs.

Thomas simply replied, "Snow is silly soft stuff. Once, I did get stuck in a pile of snow, but it's been so long since then, it's the last time that will happen. Another time, a rock knocked my snowplough right off while I was helping Toby deliver a Christmas tree to Ballahoo, but I kept going. The Fat Controller was so pleased with me, he even let me work for some time without a snowplough at all."

Truly, the Fat Controller had decided that Thomas would work without a snowplough since there were no spare snowploughs at the time, but Thomas was so pleased at the time and right now was so concentrated on having Emily in his life, he had forgotten.

"Sooner than you think, you'll be wanting that snowplough, Thomas. Mark my words," said Emily.

That night, it did snow. The Island of Sodor was soon covered in a thick blanket of fresh, white snow. And when the engines puffed off to work the next morning, they were all wearing their snowploughs…all except Thomas. The Fat Controller was not happy.

"Thomas, as you don't have your snowplough, you'll have to wait in the shed. It is too dangerous to go out without it," he said.

"Very well, sir," said Thomas.

"Emily, since you have your snowplough, you must clear Thomas' Branch Line for him."

"Yes sir," said Emily as she gave Thomas a discontent look. Thomas was delighted. "I don't have to wear my snowplough," he said smugly.

Emily was cross. She wasn't snug and warm. She was clearing snow on Thomas' Branch Line.

"It's not fair? Why do I have to wear a silly snowplough and Thomas doesn't?" she complained. Then she heard some children laughing.

"They're probably laughing at me because I look so silly with my snowplough on!" This made Emily even more cross, but as Emily cleared the tracks, she saw the children playing in the snow. Some were playing on sleds and some were rolling great big snowballs.

Emily liked children. Especially if they were happy. "Oh! The children aren't laughing at me, they're just having fun in the snow! Maybe the snow can be fun after all."

Thomas was still in the shed. It seemed like a very long day. "At least I don't have to wear my snowplough like Emily." Not only was Thomas beginning to feel bored, but he also felt extremely ridiculous. He didn't like wearing his snowplough, but because he had hid it, Emily was now doing work on his branch line, when she never asked for it.

"Oh, why did I hide my snowplough?!" he asked aloud to himself. "Emily didn't deserve to be given extra work! She must be feeling awful, all because of me!"

"Whee-hee!" But Emily was having a great time now! She was having so much fun, she cleared the tracks in no time. When she arrived at the last station, the Fat Controller was very impressed.

"Emily! As you have such a good job clearing the tracks, you can take Annie and Clarabel out on Thomas' Branch Line!"

Oh! Thank you Sir!" Emily was very pleased. Back at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas was very bored.

"I wish I had something to do," he said. Then he heard Emily's whistle.

"I don't know why you don't like your snowplough, Thomas. Clearing snow is great fun!" she said.

"Really?"

"And now, I get to take Annie and Clarabel out on your branch line!"

Thomas was very surprised. "But they're my coaches! That's my job!" he exclaimed.

"You can't go out today, Thomas. Now without your snowplough," said Emily in what sounded like a seductive tone once again. Hearing the tone made Thomas feel jittery inside. He watched as Emily was coupled up to Annie and Clarabel.

"See you later, Thomas!" called Emily.

"Bye, Thomas! Hope your snowplough turns up soon!" called Annie and Clarabel.

Thomas wasn't happy at all. He wished he could go out in the snow with Annie and Clarabel…and Emily. He still felt bad for making her do his work when she truly didn't need to and wanted to compensate for it. Then Thomas had an idea.

"If I get my snowplough, the Fat Controller will let me pull Annie and Clarabel." So Thomas puffed quietly away. _"And I'll be able to play in the snow with her...a true snow-angel,"_ he thought to himself. Thomas looked for the siding where he had left his snowplough…but none of the sidings had been cleared. They were all covered in snow. They all looked the same.

"Oh no! The snow has covered up my snowplough and hidden it!" he said. Thomas didn't want to go back to the shed. He wanted to pull Annie and Clarabel in the snow.

"Maybe I don't need my snowplough," he said aloud. "After all, Emily's cleared my line." So Thomas puffed away to find Emily. Emily meanwhile, had gathered the Fat Controller from the station. She was still having a wonderful time, taking Annie and Clarabel along the branch line. Suddenly, she saw a quaint blue shape in the distance.

"What's that?" she asked. Then as she came closer, she gasped. There, slightly covered by the snow…Thomas' snowplough!

"Sir, look! It's Thomas' snowplough! What is it doing here?" exclaimed Emily.

"Hmm…he must have hid it here! I told him everyone must wear a snowplough, but it seems he still hasn't learned," said the Fat Controller.

"Perhaps we should go tell him we found it…then he can enjoy the snow with me!" said Emily. So she set off back to Tidmouth Sheds…but Thomas wasn't there. The sheds were completely empty.

"Thomas?" said Emily. "Where did he go?"

"He must have gone off in the snow, thinking he didn't need his snowplough," said the Fat Controller. "I shall be rather put out if I find him."

Then there was trouble. It started to snow again.

"I must find Emily, I must find Emily!" Thomas puffed as hard as he could through the falling snow, but the snow was getting thicker and thicker, and soon Thomas was well and truly stuck.

"Oh no!" he said. The snow kept falling. It got higher and higher.

"Oh, help! I wish I hadn't hidden my snowplough now!" Thomas thought he would be stuck all day and all night, his footplate was frosty and his funnel was freezing.

"No one will ever find me here." Then Thomas heard some chuffing and puffing.

"I wonder who that could be," he said. He waited…then the whistle he loved hearing most split the air. "Emily!" he cheered.

"Hello, Thomas!" smiled Emily.

"I'm so pleased to see you," breathed Thomas.

"Pleased to see me?" asked Emily. "You really are?"

"Yes, Emily," said Thomas. "I was hoping you would come, more than any other engine…you saved me once again! Thank you!"

"You're most welcome, Thomas!" beamed Emily.

"Thomas, what happened? Are you stuck?" asked Annie and Clarabel.

"We went to look for you in the shed, but you weren't there," said Emily. Then she heard footsteps behind her. The Fat Controller looked cross.

"Thomas, you were told not to go without your snowplough!" he said.

"I'm sorry, sir. I hid my snowplough. And now I can't find it anywhere," grieved Thomas.

"That's why we've been looking for you. We found your snowplough buried in the snow!" said Emily.

"Thank you, Emily!...Sorry, sir…and I'm very sorry, Emily. I didn't want to give you extra work you didn't ask for…I should work for you, if it would make you happy."

Emily giggled. "Don't worry. I'm very happy today, Thomas. The snow truly is fun! Now, let's get your snowplough back." So Thomas was helped out from the snow and then followed Emily to the siding with his snowplough. Thomas was very happy to have his snowplough back.

"From now on, I'll always wear my snowplough when it snows," he promised.

"I'm glad you've learned your lesson, Thomas. Tomorrow, you can clear the tracks for Emily," said the Fat Controller. Thomas wasn't disappointed, he was excited about the fun he could have, just like Emily did.

"But before that…I've got something to show you, follow me." Thomas and Emily puffed through the snow…and soon they arrived at the field where the children were playing.

"Wow, look at all those snowmen," said Thomas pleasantly.

"I think that one looks very smart," said the Fat Controller, noticing one with a top hat like his own.

"Very smart indeed, sir. A snowman needs hat in this weather," said Thomas. Suddenly, a snowball knocked the Fat Controller's hat right off.

"Clearly, I should try to keep my hat on as well," he said. Then Thomas and Emily laughed together in the snow. That evening, as the sun began to disappear, Thomas and Emily, once again were the first two engines to return to Tidmouth Sheds. Both engines were still wearing their snowploughs. Emily was on the track beside Thomas.

"Ladies first," he said sweetly. Emily giggled. "Thank you, cutie," she smiled as she turned round to her berth. Thomas followed and backed into the berth beside her.

"Thanks for helping me again, Emily," Thomas smiled.

"You're welcome, Thomas," replied Emily. "And I'm very happy about something…this has been the second incident involving your snowplough…but this time, thanks to you saving me, I stayed kind and lovely towards you, just like I really am."

Thomas was so happy, he almost cried. "That's right," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "As I said, you were the only engine I would ever have wanted to rescue me, I was saved by a beautiful snow-angel."

Emily was so touched by this statement, she blushed deep red. "R-really? A snow-angel?"

"Absolutely. The way you puff through the snow so gracefully and elegantly, and the beautiful snowy countryside, not to mention the snow that's covering you, makes your beauty stand out all the more. When I lost all hope of being found, and when I saw you coming towards me, in the falling snow, I thought you were the most beautiful sight imaginable - a perfect snow-angel in her beautiful winter wonderland. Believe me, Emily, I mean every word. You'll always be a beautiful angel to me, rain, snow or shine, whatever the season," said Thomas, with honesty in his voice and this honesty was prevalent in his eyes.

Once again, Emily was so touched by Thomas' sweetness and honesty, her cheeks turned a very deep shade of red, and her eyes began to water, as the sweet, sweet tenderness Thomas had given her had melted her heart once again. She could not possibly stop her love for Thomas growing stronger and stronger with every passing second. She could never love anyone else.

"Thank you, Thomas. You never fail to warm my heart with your sweetness. Thank you," she weeped, she tried to hold back her tears, but Thomas' tenderness had done it's magic and Emily couldn't stop her tears of joy from gently running down her delicate face. Thomas smiled to himself. He felt so happy that he could give this beautiful angel so much joy and happiness. He couldn't think of anything more precious to him than her happiness. After a short while, Emily managed to stop crying.

"Uh…Emily? After I clear the tracks tomorrow…would you like to join me for some winter games?" asked Thomas.

This made Emily excited. "I'd love that, Thomas. What do you have in mind?"

"Wait and see," he winked. "Goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight, Thomas," whispered Emily, and they both fell asleep. The snow started to fall again. The other engines came and settled in their berths quietly as not to wake up Thomas and Emily.

The next morning, Thomas and Emily looked outside. Emily was very happy for Thomas.

"OK, off you go, Thomas. Have fun in the snow!" she said.

"I will, Emily…and remember to come for me later today!" Thomas called as he huffed out of the sheds, ready to clear the tracks. Emily smiled as Thomas went on his way.

"Oh, you'll have fun, Tommy…and so will I when you bring me out later…" she whispered.

Thomas had lots of fun indeed. He slid along the lines and snow sprayed away from him as his snowplough cut his lines clear.

"Yee-Hoo!" he howled along the line. He continued to whoop, howl and "Whee!" along the line until all the tracks were cleared.

"Tracks are cleared…now, back to Emily." He raced back to Tidmouth Sheds to find her ready and waiting.

"Hello again, speedy," she chuckled.

"Hello, pretty," he replied. "Ready for our winter games?"

"Oh, you're too right, I am," she said excitedly. She puffed elegantly out of the shed and blinked her eyes quickly at Thomas to tease him playfully. Soon, she and Thomas were puffing side-by-side along the tracks…until they came to some snowy track Thomas had not cleared on purpose.

"Is this part of your winter game?" asked Emily.

"Puff a little into the snow, Emily," winked Thomas.

"OK," she replied and she huffed forward and waited.

Thomas backed up a little…then he came forward in a flash, into the track covered in snow beside his angel. "Here I come, Emily! Snowstorm!" he shouted and sprayed soft, fluffy snow on Emily's side. Emily squealed with laughter, she was now powdered white on her side. Now she was really looked like a snow-angel.

"Just like Splish-Splash-Splosh…except cold and fluffy…I like that!" she giggled. "You go ahead now." Thomas went further ahead and waited for Emily… "Here I come, Thomas! Snowstorm!" she cheered as she sprayed Thomas back. Both laughed happily as they continued to spray each other with snow and race along the cleared tracks together until they finally grew tired and satisfied with their game.

"Whew! That was so much fun!" Emily said happily. "Thank you, Thomas!"

"You're welcome, Emily. I had fun too…mostly because you were the engine I got to play with today."

"Aww, thank you, Thomas. You've made this winter a very fun start for me!" exclaimed Emily.

"You're welcome, Emily. I think this winter is going to be tons of fun." And the two special engines went side-by-side along the line, enjoying the white world around them and looking forward to the rest of the winter.

* * *

Ah, "No Snow for Thomas." My favorite Season 17 episode. You're finally here at long last and it feels so good. But enough of that, folks we're down to the final two chapters, the next one is far more suited for the final chapter than what it is going to be, but "Tale of the Brave" takes place first so I have to do it first. So yeah, tell me what you thought about this chapter, leave a review and see ya next time for "Tale of the Brave", which hopefully won't be as long as last chapter.


	29. Tale of the Brave

It was a bright, sunny day, and the Island of Sodor was bustling with activity. The engines were carrying passengers and goods up and down every line on the Fat Controller's railway. Except Thomas' branch line, which was closed for repairs to a damaged bridge. Instead of working on his branch line, Thomas had been sent to the Sodor China Clay Pits to work with Bill and Ben.

"Hello. Is anybody here? Bill. Ben," called Thomas. He could hear faint laughing from a distance…then he saw one of the twins scurrying away through a tunnel.

"Hey, wait for me," called Thomas. "Ben! Bill!" He followed the twin through the tunnel, into the sunlight and through a small valley. Then he saw another twin pass over a bridge above him. Dust fell around Thomas, but he kept going…until he saw a huge open area of stone and clay. There was even a waterhole down below.

"Hello, Ben," greeted Thomas as he caught up to the twins.

"You took your time, Thomas," grinned Ben. "Your trucks are over there."

"Don't be silly, Ben," teased Bill. "Thomas isn't strong enough to pull those trucks."

"Of course I am," Thomas replied as he made his way over to the trucks. The twins chuckled quietly to each other. What Thomas didn't notice as he was coupled up and started to move…was that another engine was coupled on the other side.

"Oh, hey, stop. Wha...what's got into you trucks?" said the engine.

"The trucks aren't pulling you, Timothy. It's Thomas that's pulling you," gloated Ben.

"Timothy?" said Thomas.

"Thomas?"

Timothy was the little oil-burning engine that worked at the Clay Pits too. Bill and Ben had played a trick on both him and Thomas. The twins laughed and hurried away on their own. Timothy came alongside Thomas.

"Oh, don't mind them, Thomas. Bill and Ben are always playing tricks on other engines," sympathized Timothy.

"I know all about Bill and Ben and their tricks, Timothy," said Thomas.

"You have to admit, though, that was a funny one. Trucks can be troublesome, but they don't usually have that much pull," joked Timothy. Both engines laughed…but then a thunderclap loomed overhead.

"You'd best be careful, Thomas. If a storm comes, the heavy rain can make the clay walls unstable," warned Timothy.

"Thanks, Timothy. I'll be careful," said Thomas as he cautiously set off on his way. The rain fell hard, lighting flashed through the sky and thunderclaps shook the track. Thomas watched intently as a few stones fell down from the sides of the valley.

"Timothy was right. I do need to be careful." Just then, several rocks came clattering beside Thomas, revealing a strange shape.

"Whoa! Huh? Footprints. What could have made footprints as big as…" But then, a huge landslide came cascading down the valley wall, straight for Thomas!

"Look out!" called a voice from behind Thomas. Bill and Ben came charging through and pushed Thomas away from the falling boulders just in time.

"Whoa!" called Thomas as he and the twins raced away from the landslide.

Thomas and the twins made it safely out of the Clay Pits. Thomas was still shocked and relieved over the recent action.

"Bill…Ben…" he breathed. "Thank you!"

"You're most welcome, Thomas," said Bill. "You must have been scared out of your smokebox!"

"I was," said Thomas. "But luckily, we're all here. I must be on my way." So Thomas huffed on through the storm.

Emily, meanwhile, was working on her own in the wet. She didn't like this noisy weather, especially when Thomas wasn't there to keep her company. Like most, she got a sense of fear whenever a storm came to the island. She felt safest in a shed as she remembered the storm she had faced back when she was still suffering. She most certainly felt safer when Thomas was there for her. Luckily, she was near Tidmouth Sheds, so she arranged her trucks in the yards quickly, then hurried into the shelter of the sheds.

She felt safer in the warm dryness of her berth, but still wanted Thomas by her side. After playing in the snow with him, she had grown even more attached to him. All she wanted was for him to be keeping by her side, either comforting her, joking with her or making her heart flutter with his tender, sweet words.

Then, much to her delight and happiness, she saw him approach the turntable.

"Thomas! You're home!" she whistled joyfully. "Come in beside me. You must be soaking!"

Thomas smiled back at Emily as he turned round on the turntable and backed in beside her.

"Warm and dry…lovely," he said wearily. "Thank goodness for Bill and Ben."

"Those little demons?" asked Emily. "What should we be thanking them for?"

Thomas remembered when those twins ruined that moment between him and Emily at the washdown…but what they did for him today was so honourable and meaningful, Thomas had to speak some truth.

"Emily, those twins saved me…When the storm gathered, I was working my way back from the Clay Pits…when suddenly, a landslide of boulders came crashing down towards me! I thought I was going to be crushed, but then they came behind me and pushed me away just in time!"

"Fire and Smoke!" gasped Emily. "You must have been frightened! I'm just happy you're alright!"

"So am I," said Thomas. "I wish I was beside you today though. I could only imagine you being frightened in this weather."

"I'm not too frightened," said Emily. "It's just that you always manage to keep me calm in any weather."

"Well, the weather will recover, Emily…the sun will return, and you'll be shining beautifully again," said Thomas, turning slightly red.

Emily giggled. "Thank you, sweetheart," she smiled. Then, Emily saw Thomas looking confused. He didn't say anything, but he was lost in thought about what he saw just before the landslide…He was thinking about the footprint and what it could possibly mean…

By dusk, the storm stopped, then the moon and stars shone through the parting clouds. Emily and Thomas were turned breathless by the enchanting sight. How the clouds flowed through and away from the stars was so interesting.

"Well, Thomas…the weather did mend like you said," smiled Emily. "And it looks absolutely beautiful now."

"It certainly does, Emily…and the moon really finishes your lovely looks," Thomas replied.

"Oh, Thomas…must you always melt my heart? I just adore how sweet you are towards me," blushed Emily.

"And I adore how lovely and kind you are, Emily. You're the best engine the Island has ever seen in my eyes," Thomas replied.

"And you're the best friend I've ever met, Thomas," said Emily. "If there's one engine I would want to be lost with nowhere else to go, it would be you. You have something no other engine has…everlasting kindness and consideration." Then she yawned softly. Thomas smiled happily as he saw this.

"Goodnight, Emily," he whispered.

"Goodnight, Thomas," Emily whispered as she fell asleep beside her favorite engine.

* * *

The morning after the big storm on the Island of Sodor, the Fat Controller gathered some of his engines together to make an announcement. Emily was there, still feeling very happy for Thomas' fortunate event the other day. Rosie was there too. She was beside Percy and her adoptive big brother, Thomas. Then the Fat Controller spoke up.

"Ahem. We are here to pay tribute to the bravery of Bill and Ben."

"Hello, everyone. Glad you could make it," said Bill and Ben with spirit. Thomas, Percy, Rosie and Emily whistled in response.

"While they may be better known for playing tricks on their fellow engines..."

"You can say that again," Gordon murmured to himself.

"By rescuing Thomas from the landslide at the China Clay Pits, they have proved once again that they are really useful and brave engines."

"Really silly engines more like," said Gordon.

"Brave? Huh, I'm braver than they'll ever be," gloated James.

Emily left to start her work. But as she left, she couldn't help but keep wondering why Thomas looked so lost in thought.

"Something has happened," she whispered to herself. "Maybe Thomas saw something he can't make out…"

"Ah, Thomas, I'd like you to work at the docks this morning…Thomas?" Thomas hadn't answered as he was still thinking deeply…but he managed to respond after hearing his name a second time.

"Oh...yes, sir...work at the docks," said Thomas. Rosie left too, but Thomas' best friend Percy stayed and saw Thomas' thoughtful expression.

"What's wrong, Thomas? You seem a bit quiet," he said.

"Sorry, Percy. I...well... I saw something strange up at the Clay Pits yesterday," said Thomas.

"Really? What did you see?" asked Percy.

"I'm not sure. I think I saw footprints, but I need to take another look." And Thomas whistled and left the yard. Percy was puzzled. "Footprints?" he asked.

That same time, somewhere else along the line, by a pond. A strange figure and a train of trucks passed by a pond, stirring the frogs up…

Before starting work at the docks, Thomas went back to the Clay Pits again. He wanted to go back to where he had seen what he thought were big footprints. But the area was closed off, and there were danger signs…suddenly, a claw-like device fell in front of him!

"Ahh! Wh-what's that?" he exclaimed. Then, a female voice spoke behind him. There on the tracks beside him was a brownish-orange steam shovel.

"Only me. Oh. Oh, I didn't mean to give you a fright. Sorry. Oh, dear. This is embarrassing. Haven't you ever seen a steam shovel before?" asked the steam shovel.

"Yes, I...I just didn't hear you coming, and, well...I was thinking about something else," said Thomas. He had seen a steam shovel before, but he had never seen a railway steam shovel before.

"Me too. I was thinking about digging. I love digging. I love thinking about digging. Not as much as I love digging, of course. Digging is what I'm all about really, but...oh. Oh, dear. This is embarrassing. I forgot to ask you your name." Thomas tried to speak but the shovel continued.

"You should always introduce yourself. It's only polite. That's what I've always been told anyway. Shall I go first? Let me introduce myself. I'm Marion. And you are..."

"Thomas. Do you always talk this much?"

"Not particularly. No, I wouldn't say that. I'm more of a digger, to be honest. Or should I say steam shovel? That is my proper title, you know, seeing as I have a shovel, and I'm powered by steam. I'm here to clear the tracks, actually."

Marion blew her whistle and started past the danger signs. "Always a lot of digging to do after a landslide. That's right. Ooh, a lot of digging."

Thomas tried to follow Marion past the danger sign. "Ah-ah-ah. Don't you go past the danger sign, Thomas. That would be dangerous. Unless, of course, you want me to dig you out." As Marion approached the valley-walls and started digging, a few trucks came rolling past Thomas, and behind them was Timothy.

"I see you've met Marion, then," he said.

"I certainly have," replied Thomas.

"Steam shovels are made for digging, and I am particularly good at it. Either way, ooh, good, Marion. Well done," Marion said to herself as she loaded the trucks with stone.

"Timothy, have you seen any big animals in the Clay Pits?" asked Thomas.

"Big animals? Like what? A cow or a deer?"

"No, bigger than that, much bigger," Thomas wanted to know.

"There aren't animals bigger than that on Sodor, Thomas. Oh, except giraffes and elephants in the Animal Park."

"And chickens," said Marion.

"Chickens?" said Thomas and Timothy together.

"Oh, sorry. Did I say chickens? I meant dinosaurs. Oh, dinosaurs were very big animals. But dinosaurs aren't around anymore. No, they lived a very long time ago…A very, very, very long time ago. Oh, dear. There I go talking out of my shovel," said Marion. Thomas found her rather fun and carefree, but his mind was still set on the mystery of the footprint.

"Why are you asking about big animals, Thomas?" asked Timothy.

"Oh, I was just wondering. That's all." and Thomas went on his way for the docks. While Marion continued to dig, she didn't notice she had dug up the footprint and loaded it into one of the trucks…

* * *

It was a busy morning at Brendam Docks. Ships were being loaded and unloaded, and cargo was waiting to be taken away.

"And where have you been all morning? I thought you were meant to be pulling goods trains today," inquired Cranky as Thomas coupled unsettlingly to the trucks.

"I am. I...just had another job to do first. That's all," said Thomas. Cranky didn't answer. Then Percy came up beside Thomas.

"Thomas, did you go back to the Clay Pits? Did you find out what made those footprints?" he asked.

"I tried, Percy, but the area was closed off after the landslide," Thomas replied.

"Maybe you should stick to your railway jobs, Thomas, instead of going around chasing footprints and causing landslides," teased Cranky. Thomas begrudgingly remembered being "bugged," by Cranky when working with him the first time.

"Why are you so worried about some footprints, anyway?" Percy asked Thomas.

"Because I don't know what could have made them, Percy. They were footprints. They were very big footprints, bigger than any animal on Sodor."

"You mean they were footprints from...a monster?" gasped Percy.

"A monster? Honestly, the things you engines come up with," smirked Cranky.

"Don't be silly, Percy. There's no such thing as monsters," reassured Thomas.

"OK, Thomas. I hope you're right," said Percy as he whistled and left the docks.

"So do I..." Thomas whispered to himself.

As an eerie fog rolled across Sodor, Percy couldn't stop thinking about what Thomas had said. "There's no such thing as monsters," he kept saying to himself…but as he descended from a hill, something caught his eye.

"Oh, whoa!" exclaimed Percy as he came to a stop. "What's that? I...hope...it's not...a...monster." But as the shape came closer, Percy's fears drove him away from where he was. "Oh. Runaway! Runaway!" he cried as he reversed with great speed.

Back at the docks, the fog was still dense and Thomas was backing up to a line of trucks, when Porter came rushing through urgently. "Look out. Look out! Runaway trucks!" he called.

"A monster! A monster! It's coming this way! It's the monster from the Clay Pits."

"Huh? The monster?!" gasped Cranky as he swung his hook around carelessly. Bags of sand popped and spouted sand everywhere. Then as the sand settled, the strange shape became clear as some kind of engine.

"Oh, hello," said the strange engine.

"That be no monster, Percy. That be an engine. Ahoy there, matey. I think they all thought you were a sea monster," said Salty.

"I didn't think you were a monster," said Cranky.

"Ahem!" exclaimed Thomas. He was covered from buffer to footplate in sand! "Oops," said Cranky shamefully.

The strange engine spoke again. "A monster? Oh, I don't usually get mistaken for a monster. Mind you, they do call me Gator. It seems they think my long, sloping water tank makes me look like an alligator."

"Gator. Ha, that's a great name," praised Salty.

"Well, my real name is Gerald, but I quite like being called Gator," said Gator.

"And I like being called Thomas," said Thomas.

"Or should we call you sandy now?" chuckled Salty, noting all the sand covering Thomas.

"And the little green tank engine is my friend, Percy," said Thomas.

"Hello," breathed Percy.

"Hello, Percy. I'm sorry if I gave you a fright. I was in a hurry to catch a ship," grinned Gator.

Then the dock manager arrived. He was not very happy to see his docks in such a mess. "What is going on here? Those trucks should be in Vicarstown by now, Percy," he said.

"Sorry, sir. I was just leaving," said Percy as he set off again. "Good-bye, Gator."

"Good-bye Percy," replied Gator. Percy felt very silly for thinking the new engine was a monster, but he was still a little worried.

Thomas meanwhile had the sand cleaned off of him and was on his way again. He really wanted to see Emily again. All he could think about was her and how she must be feeling in the foggy atmosphere.

Emily was working on her own and she wasn't frightened. She found the fog interesting…but she did feel a little lonely without Thomas to talk to. She kept working until she returned to Tidmouth Sheds that evening…and much to her happiness, the fog started to drift away and Thomas came onto the turntable.

"Thomas! You're back!" she whistled cheerfully.

"Hello, lovely angel," smiled Thomas as he turned round and reversed into the berth beside her. Emily noticed that he had rested in the berth beside her rather often. She liked that he did this as much as he could.

"You always want to rest right beside me, don't you, Tommy?" she smiled.

Thomas sighed with exasperation over that name but wanted to answer Emily.

"Yes, I do, Emily. Anything to be with you, I'd do. You've been through so much over the years, just being together is the best thing for us," he said.

Emily smiled further. "I just wish you and I can work together more often…like when we helped those children get their own place to play."

"Well, whenever I'm called to do something different, I eventually go back my normal work, Emily," reassured Thomas.

"Of course, Thomas," said Emily. "By the way, where's Percy?"

"His mail trucks are just outside the sheds. He'll be doing his mail run soon," said Thomas.

Just then, Percy arrived and collected his mail trucks. "Off with the mail," he said. "Goodnight, Thomas. Goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight, Percy," Thomas and Emily said together.

"Do you think he'll be OK, Thomas? It's a dark night," said Emily.

"The fog is gone, Emily. It's a lovely night. I'm sure he'll be alright."

"OK. Goodnight, Thomas," Emily yawned. "Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Emily," whispered Thomas. "Sweet dreams." And they both fell asleep under a peaceful sky.

But as Percy set out to take the mail train, he seemed to see monsters everywhere.

As he went along the line, he saw eyes flashing in the bushes, but they were only rabbits. Then he saw a creepy face in a field…but as his light shone on it, it was just a pile of hay with two pitch forks on top. Percy huffed faster along the line. He saw shadowed sheds and clothes flowing on their lines in the wind. Then he saw another strange shape with its shadow falling right over him…it was just a water tower shadowed against the moonlight.

As Percy passed by a tree, he heard a white owl hoot into the night. Leaves blew around his face and around his lamp, then he saw a barn with a pumpkin-like face staring at him…then he came to a signal box. With the bright lights and jagged appearance beneath, it looked like a monster with an open, hungry mouth. Percy rushed on through the night, and as he approached a tunnel, he saw more eyes in the bushes and trees.

The sun still wasn't even appearing when Thomas woke up. He started for the turntable when Emily woke up next. As Thomas began to turn round, he heard her yawn and decided to turn around to her.

"Thomas…where are you going so early?" Emily asked.

"Sorry, Emily. I have an early start today…and my branch line still isn't finished. I'm sorry to have to leave you…but I'll be back," he said, buffering to her.

"OK, Thomas…I'll be thinking about you until you come back…" smiled Emily.

"And I'll be thinking about you, Emily. Go to sleep again. You deserve to have beauty sleep," replied Thomas as he touched his nose to hers.

"OK, Thomas…thank you," Emily whispered as she drifted off and fell asleep again.

"See you later, sweetie," Thomas whispered as he went back to the turntable and went on his way. Thomas headed straight to the Clay Pits. His branch lines were still under construction. But he didn't really have an early start that day. What he had told Emily was a lie. He was starting early because he wanted to check for the footprints as soon as possible. Thomas didn't like having to lie to Emily, but his desire to find out whether he was right about what he saw was all he could focus on.

Bill and Ben were loading their trucks with clay and Marion was digging and singing as she loaded Timothy's train with rocks.

"Hello, Timothy," called Thomas' voice.

"Hello, Thomas," said Timothy.

"Find anything unusual in there?" asked Thomas.

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know...footprints from a monster or something."

As Thomas huffed carefully through the Clay Pits, he looked all around…but unaware to him, Bill and Ben were up to their tricks as usual. They snuck alongside Thomas behind piles of rock, followed him to an opening…then…

"Boo!" Thomas jumped as the twins laughed back.

"You and your tricks. You nearly made me blow a safety valve!" complained Thomas.

"We were only saying hello. Poor thing. You'd think he'd seen a steam shovel," teased the twins. Thomas frowned but also felt relieved. He didn't want to be embarrassed again if Emily were there.

"Oh, Emily, that wonderful, beautiful…queen!" he whispered. "If only we could love each other like the most loving couple Sodor has ever seen!"

* * *

Meanwhile, poor nervous Percy had gone to Brendam docks to collect some trucks. Percy was very sleepy after staying awake all night keeping a lookout for monsters. As he backed up slower and slower with flickering eyes, he suddenly reversed with a bump into the trucks and he woke up in a fright again. He rushed forward so that the shunters pole rattled along behind him!

"Help! What's that?" he cried as the pole flew off.

"Percy, stop. You've left your trucks behind," called Gator who had seen everything.

"What?"

"Oh, silly Percy...only us!" laughed the trucks.

"Are you always such a nervous engine? You're acting like something is chasing you down the tracks," said Gator.

"Sorry. It's just Thomas said..." Percy did feel a little silly and couldn't finish what he wanted to say, so he said, "Never mind."

Back at the Clay Pits, Thomas was shunting trucks for Marion and trying to see if he could spot any footprints.

"OK, Thomas, that's your lot, but hurry back, OK? I'll stay here and dig until I fill up some more trucks," said Marion.

As Thomas took the trucks away, he began to wonder what happened in the storm…

"Maybe I didn't see anything that night. Heh, maybe the lightning was playing tricks on me," he said to himself. As he huffed away, he suddenly saw Bill and Ben at the water tower. "Hurry up, Ben! I need to fill my water tank too."

"Hmm, playing tricks on me," he muttered. And then an idea flew into Thomas' funnel.

"Be patient, Bill. You'll get your turn," teased Ben. "I've been patient for ages!" moaned Bill.

"Hey, Bill. Hey, Ben. Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did, Thomas," teased Ben.

"What? Oh, yes. I was just wondering. The other day before you rescued me from the landslide, were you playing a trick on me?" asked Thomas.

"A trick? That landslide was not a trick," the twins objected.

"Oh, I don't mean the landslide. I saw something else, and-"

"We risked our boilers for you, Thomas," replied Bill.

"That's right. We could have been caught in that landslide too," said Ben as he huffed away.

"Yeah...What he said," said Bill.

Thomas hadn't meant to upset Bill and Ben. He just wanted to find out where the big footprints had come from and whether they were footprints at all.

It was already dark when Thomas finally returned to Tidmouth sheds. As he reversed into the berth beside James, he looked beyond Gordon towards Emily.

"Emily? …Emily?" he whispered. Emily slowly opened her eyes and yawned, "Hello, Thomas. I heard you coming…Lovely to have you back…"

"Lovely to see you, Emily," Thomas whispered. Emily smiled and closed her eyes again. Thomas looked at her for a few seconds, then looked to the left. He was very surprised to find Percy still in his berth.

"Percy, aren't you supposed to be taking the mail train? You should have left by now," he said.

"I know, Thomas, but last night, I kept seeing things that looked like monsters," peeped Percy.

"Monsters?" asked Thomas.

"A monster?" chuckled James, overhearing the two engines.

"They weren't really monsters. They were only silly things, like a haystack or a shirt on the line, but there could still be a monster out there," shuddered Percy. Feeling so vulnerable, he got an idea…

"Please, Thomas. Would you take the mail train for me? Just tonight?" he asked.

"Um...alright, Percy. I suppose I could," said Thomas. He was happy to help his best friend and huffed out of the sheds.

Thank you, Thomas. Thank you. You're a good friend," smiled Percy. Unfortunately, James, being conceited as he was, found Percy's timid approach amusing and wanted to have some fun.

"Oh, Percy. You're such a scaredy-engine," he teased. Emily overheard James and felt a tingle of suspicion flow through her boiler.

_"Why is he teasing Percy over being frightened…even over something simple?"_ she thought. She knew that Percy was easily frightened over things not to be afraid of, but it wasn't his fault. He was a little carefree engine. This gave Emily an idea…Thomas' kindness and generosity towards her did give her a new strength. She wanted to look out for Percy and support him. James had fallen asleep again and Emily looked to the green engine.

"Percy?" she whispered. Percy didn't answer. He was still lost in thought.

"Percy?" Emily whispered louder. Percy looked over. "Yes Emily?" he answered.

"It's OK to be afraid. We're all scared of something. Just remember: You have wonderful friends here…your best friend Thomas…and me. I can support you if you wish," Emily replied, smiling kindly at the little green engine.

Percy couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about Thomas and wondering if he was okay.

"Emily? Maybe James is right…I do get scared easily…Do you think Thomas is OK?"

"Listen, Percy: You are NOT a scaredy engine. James is just trying to get amusement out of you his way. You are very brave yourself in your own ways. Thomas will be just fine. I can stay up and keep watch with you if you like," said Emily.

"Thank you, Emily. You're very nice," smiled Percy.

"Thank you, little one," chuckled Emily. So Emily and Percy looked out of Tidmouth Sheds and waited for Thomas…

Thomas finally finished the mail run and came back safe and sound.

"There he is, Percy," whispered Emily. "I told you he'd be OK,"

"Thank you, Emily. And goodnight," whispered Percy.

"Goodnight, Percy. And goodnight, Thomas," Emily whispered.

"Goodnight, Emily," Thomas whispered as he backed into the berth beside Percy again. "No monsters?" whispered Percy. "No monsters," smiled Thomas.

"But what about the footprints?" Percy asked worriedly.

"It was dark and stormy that night in the Clay Pits. I don't even know for sure that I saw any footprints. You should try to get some sleep, Percy. There's nothing to worry about."

* * *

At last, Thomas' branch line was opened again. Thomas and Emily woke up first just as the Fat Controller arrived.

"Good news, Thomas. Your Branch Line is finished and has been re-opened. You can take Annie and Clarabel along your way now," he said.

"Thank you, sir," smiled Thomas. "Well, Emily. Once again, we won't be missing each other so much again."

"No, Thomas," smiled Emily. "We won't. Now go and please Emma's spirit by cherishing your line again."

"Certainly, dear," breathed Thomas as he left the sheds.

After Thomas left the sheds, Emily saw that James had already left and Percy was still asleep. She watched him wake up slowly and look wonderingly at the sunrise.

"Good morning, Percy," said Emily, catching his attention with her queenly voice.

"Oh…good morning, Emily," peeped Percy. "Thanks for keeping watch with me last night."

"You're welcome, Percy," smiled Emily. "Pay no attention to James. I'll keep looking out for you, just like Thomas looked out for me."

"I really like your thinking, Emily. You really are a very nice addition to the Steam Team. I'm off to the docks now. See you later," said Percy as he huffed out of the sheds.

"Bye-bye, Percy," chimed Emily.

Meanwhile, Thomas arrived at a small shed where Annie and Clarabel were waiting. Annie was pleased to see Thomas coming back. "Wake up, Clarabel. We're back in business," she smiled.

"Ooh, is that Thomas? How delightful," chimed Clarabel.

"Here we go," said Thomas as he began to pull away from the shed. James was huffing on the opposite line.

"It's not fair. You get to pull coaches, and I get sent for scrap," he said enviously.

"Sent for scrap?!" gasped Thomas…but secretly, he was somewhat satisfied. Somewhere within him, a dark side was telling him this was great fortune. James had hurt and abused Emily along with Gordon so terribly that perhaps such a fate would be justified.

"Oh, James, that's terrible. You still look really useful to me," shuddered the coaches.

"Uh, no, I mean sent to the scrapyard to collect trucks filled with scrap," corrected James.

"Oh, I see. Silly us. Yes, silly us," laughed the coaches.

"Cheer up, James. Pulling trucks isn't so bad," teased Thomas.

"You can't always do the jobs you like best," said Clarabel.

James was not a happy engine as he puffed to the scrapyard. But when he saw Percy, he found another opportunity to be unruly. Despite the Fat Controller's warning of locking him and Gordon in the sheds forever if they bullied any engine on such magnitude again, James was so fond of teasing, he had forgotten.

"Hello, scaredy-engine. Seen any monsters lately?" he teased. Percy wasn't as fazed as before. With Emily looking out for him he had a little more strength.

"You can tease if you want to, James, but there really might be a monster on Sodor, you know," he said with less timid energy than usual.

"Ha, puff and nonsense. There's no such thing as monsters," James replied.

"Well, Thomas saw giant footprints up at the Clay Pits, and nobody knows what made them." And Percy huffed on. This made James' smile fade away into a look of puzzlement and wonder.

"Giant footprints? Huh, I wonder-whoa!" James had veered off the main line into a scrapyard! In front of him was a great pile of scrap. Then he saw a claw grab a pile of funnels and place it on the pile! James started to reverse when he heard a voice and saw a face through the scrap.

"Hello, mate. You came in fast. Scrap give you a bit of a fright, did it?" It was a yellow crane.

"Ha, no. I'm not scared of pieces of metal and rusty old machines," bluffed James.

"Is that right? Well, aren't you the big engine? Reg is the name. I'm the scrapyard crane."

"Well, I'm James, and I usually pull coaches," said James with pride.

"Well, there's a surprise," Reg said to himself.

Meanwhile, Percy had arrived at the docks. But he didn't expect to find Gator still there.

"Gator. Hello. Are you working on Sodor now?" asked Percy.

"No, Percy. I missed my ship. I'm just helping the dock manager while I wait for another one. He needs me to collect some trucks from Duck's branch line tonight."

"Tonight? But aren't you afraid of monsters?" Percy asked.

"Monsters? What monsters? Monsters would probably be afraid of me," Gator smiled.

"Wow. You're brave, Gator. I wish I was as brave as you are," Percy answered.

"You might be braver than you think, Percy. I wasn't always as brave as I am now." So Gator told Percy a story about how he worked on his former railway…

"I'm designed to work in the high mountains, Percy. That's why my water tanks are this special shape. But just because you're designed for something doesn't mean you can't be afraid of it. And it was a shock for me to find out that I was afraid of heights. One day I was faced with having to cross a high bridge, higher than any bridge I'd ever seen before. But I was pulling trucks loaded with important supplies. The villagers needed my help. I decided I must be brave. It took everything in me to cross that bridge, but I did it, even though I was scared."

Percy was fascinated and inspired by Gator's story. Never had he heard such a detailed description about being brave.

"So, you see, being brave isn't the same as not feeling scared. Being brave is about what you do even when you do feel scared," concluded Gator. Percy started up again. "Percy, where are you going?" called Gator.

"There's something I have to do," smiled Percy.

* * *

Back at Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas and Emily were the only engines there. It felt good to have some time alone.

"How does it feel to be back on your branch line, Thomas?" asked Emily.

"It's wonderful, Emily. Annie and Clarabel were most pleased to be back in business. How are you?" said Thomas.

"I had to collect more sand from the docks. I met an engine there called Gator. People say he looks like an alligator, giving him his name rather than Gerald," replied Emily.

"Gator? Interesting," said Thomas.

"Yes indeed…Sandy," Emily said with a slight giggle.

"What?" asked Thomas.

"I remember you getting covered in sand some time ago, Sandy," teased Emily. Thomas raised his eyebrow at Emily, intending to play around with her.

"Don't you prefer me being spotless and shiny blue, you stunning angel?" he flirted.

"Well, yes. How about me, stud?" Emily flirted back.

"Your gorgeous curves can never be matched, sweetie," Thomas said slyly. When Emily heard "gorgeous curves," she blushed redder than any coat of red James ever wore.

"Ohh…Thomas!" she said, wheezing with laughter. "Doesn't your ability to flatter others ever fail?"

Then Percy arrived. "Hello, Thomas. Guess what," he peeped.

"Um, let me see. Have you been asked to deliver a giant balloon on a flatbed?" guessed Thomas. Emily chuckled quietly to herself. She remembered when Mr. Bubbles came to make the biggest bubbles ever made and she liked how close Thomas and Percy were as friends. Thomas had both Percy and her...two of the best friends he could ask for.

"No. I've decided to be brave and take the mail train tonight," Percy replied.

"Oh, so you're not feeling scared about monsters anymore?" asked Thomas.

"Being brave is not the same as not feeling scared, Thomas. Being brave is about what you do even when you do feel scared. Gator told me that." And Percy set off with the mail wagons.

"Good luck, Percy!" called Thomas.

"Thank you, Thomas," said Percy.

"Be careful out there. Monsters are hard to see in the dark," called James as he turned round on the turntable.

"Don't you worry about me," Percy replied with confidence.

As James reversed into the berth beside Emily, she asked suspiciously, "Why are you teasing Percy like that, James?"

"I'm teasing Percy because he's a scaredy-engine, Emily," James replied with a smug smile. Thomas' firebox smoked and fizzed with anger as he saw James' smug behaviour. Emily was angry at James too, and she did not like the way he was looking at her one bit. When she and Thomas saw each other's expressions, they held back their laughter, but found it hard to do. Thomas still wanted to snap and turn round on the turntable so he could bash James into the back of the shed…when the Fat Controller arrived.

"Ah, there you are, James. Don't settle down. I need you to pull the Flying Kipper tonight and deliver fresh fish for the morning," he said.

"But that's Henry's job," objected James.

"Henry has taken a heavy goods train to the mainland. He won't be back before tomorrow."

"Well, why can't Emily do it or Thomas? I don't like pulling trucks," said James. Thomas and Emily glared at James. They hated when he tried talking his way out of work the Fat Controller was giving him.

"I'm asking you, James. You can't always do the jobs you like, you know," said the Fat Controller sternly. James begrudgingly set off for the docks, but not without receiving some teasing.

"Be careful out there, James. Monsters can be very hard to see in the dark," Emily teased.

James frowned as he heard that. Thomas looked over to Emily with a cheeky smile.

"You're becoming a little like me, Emily," he said.

"I'm giving James a taste of his own kind," she said obstinately. "He's so conceited, sometimes I wish he could be just a museum exhibit and have some other nice engine…like me to do the work he likes to do."

Thomas couldn't help but laugh slightly. He loved Emily's sense of humour. And as the sun disappeared and the stars shone through the sky, Thomas got an idea.

"Hey, angel…wanna watch the night with me?"

"I'd love to, Thomas," whispered Emily. "Come on over." So Thomas switched to the berth beside Emily and they watched the night together...

* * *

Meanwhile, Percy was very happy to be pulling the mail train again.

"Thomas is right. There's no such thing as monsters. And Gator is right too. I can be brave," he said. He passed the farmer's field.

"That's not a monster. That's just a haystack," he chuckled to himself.

"Those aren't monsters, either. They're just trees...not scary at all."

Percy didn't feel scared about monsters anymore. He felt brave, while James, on the other hand, felt grumpy.

"It's not fair. First I'm sent to work at the scrapyard. And now Henry gets to go on holiday to the mainland, while I have to spend the night pulling smelly fish…Yuck," he complained as the Flying Kipper was coupled to him.

"You look like you're in a sunny mood again, James," teased Porter.

"Hmph, well it's not sunny. It's nighttime," James replied. As he went along the line, James looked all around…until he came to a red signal and waited…

"Hello," said a voice coming from a rather strange object. James yelled in shock and sped on. A light came on…it was just Gator.

"Not again," he sighed. Percy was still happy in the night when he saw James still speeding along in a fright.

James was so frightened that he missed the red signal, hit the points, came off the rails, and ended up in a pond. His wheels sunk into the mud and the fish smelt terrible as they spoiled in the pond. Just then, Gator stopped just above James.

"Are you alright? I didn't mean to give you a fright," he said.

"Oh, James. Heh, I see you met Gator," said Percy beside Gator. All James could do was mourn over himself.

After Percy finished the mail run, he came back to the sheds.

"Ohh…" Emily yawned. "Hello Percy…where's James?"

"Well, Emily, I happen to know…he crashed the Flying Kipper…Gator didn't mean to give him a fright."

"James…scared of an engine?" laughed Emily. "Just wait until the other engines hear about this!"

The next day, Percy was very happy, not just because he had taken the mail train again and not because of what had happened to James but because his new friend, Gator, was now working on the Fat Controller's railway.

Later that day, James arrived at Knapford station. "Shh. Here he comes," announced Emily. The other engines thought what had happened to him was very funny, indeed.

"Gator may have a sloping water tank, James, but that's nothing to be frightened of," Emily said, intending to annoy one of the engines she still hated to this day.

"Percy got a fright too when he first saw Gator," sniffed James. Once again, Thomas wanted to attack James in his annoyance.

_"You won't be a bother for much longer!"_ he thought. Emily looked back at Thomas and saw his expression. "Thomas, calm down," whispered Emily. "The Fat Controller can deal with him." Thomas calmed down at once hearing Emily's reassuring. Then Henry whistled in from James' left.

"Thank you for taking the Flying Kipper for me, James, only you're meant to deliver the fish, not throw them back in the water," he teased. The other engines laughed in unison.

"I'll show them who the scaredy-engine is," James said angrily. As he left Knapford Station, Thomas looked at Emily.

"You're certainly cheeky with that stained Ruby, aren't you, Emily?" he joked.

"I think it's your fault, Thomas," giggled Emily. "Spending so much time with you has been a bad influence on me…I'm really just doing it for Percy's sake."

That night when Percy set out to take the mail train...James set out into the night too. He checked first to see if all the engines were asleep. Edward, Henry, Emily and Gordon were asleep…and Thomas was asleep. The only sound to be heard was Henry snoring drowsily, but James' huffing drowned some of it out.

Thomas woke up to see James leave. He closed his eyes again…but suddenly remembered him teasing Percy before taking the Flying Kipper. He looked over to Emily.

"Emily?" he whispered. Emily yawned and sleepily looked at Thomas. "Huh? What is it?" she whispered.

"James has gone out again…and Percy is taking the mail…I remember James teasing Percy yesterday…I think he's up to something," said Thomas, growing an annoyed glare into the night.

"If he disobeys the Fat Controller's orders too long, he will get what he deserves…" sneered Emily as she went back to sleep…

Thomas was right that James was up to something...he wasn't taking the Flying Kipper. Percy was back into his routine. Everything was going fine. He stopped in the stations and waited while the mail sacks were loaded and unloaded, and he didn't see anything that worried him at all. Then there was trouble…James had gathered the pile of scrap from the scrapyard and quietly left it on Percy's line.

When Percy came round the bend, there was something unusual on the track up ahead, something big. It wasn't a haystack or a clothesline. It could only be one thing. Percy hit the flatbed with a bump, causing the "monster" to swing it's giant "claw" at Percy.

"There's no such thing as monsters. There's no such thing as monsters. Ahh! The monster!"

Percy just wanted to get back to the sheds as quickly as his little wheels could carry him. Meanwhile, James returned to the sheds and all the engines were still asleep…but not for long…Percy's whistle echoed through the air, then his voice followed.

"Oh, it's coming to get me. It's right behind me! I know it is!" The sounds woke up the other engines

"The monster! The monster!" cried Percy as he charged into the empty berth beside Thomas.

"Percy!" exclaimed Thomas.

"I saw it. I really saw it!"

"Silly Percy. There's no such thing as monsters. You probably saw another haystack," sneered James.

"Yes, a haystack or a shirt on a line," added Gordon.

"Maybe you were just dreaming," said Emily.

"You're all wrong. It was a monster. It had spikes and teeth and claws!" said Percy, but even as he spoke, Gordon and James were laughing all the more. Emily could feel some of her bad ways reopening within her.

"Stop it. That's enough!" snapped Emily, terrible memories of her bad ways coming back to her. Thomas could hear Emily and his anger built very quickly.

"BE QUIET! OR I'LL BASH YOU FURTHER IN!" he barked to Gordon and James, taking them both by shock.

"Thomas, please don't do anything rash!" pleaded Emily.

"Tell them, Thomas. Tell them. There are monsters on Sodor. You saw those enormous footprints. Tell them," pleaded Percy.

"Uh, well, I...I don't know what I saw, Percy, or what you saw either. But I don't think it could have really been a monster," said Thomas, sounding rather unsure.

"There's no such thing as monsters," said Edward.

"Edward is right, no such thing, never was and never will be," said Henry.

"Remember what happened when you first saw Gator? You must have seen something you thought looked like a monster again," said Thomas.

"Oh, yes, Percy, admit it. You're just a scaredy-engine," teased James.

"SHUT UP, YOU BLOOD-PAINTED DIESEL!" screamed Emily.

"James, you got a fright when you saw Gator too," frowned Thomas.

"No, I didn't. I just missed a signal in the dark. I wasn't scared, not like Percy," replied James. But Thomas and Emily knew James was lying.

"None of you believe me, and you're right, I was scared, but I know what I saw," frowned Percy.

Emily and Thomas were not the only ones angry at James. Henry was very angry too. James was about to tease Percy again when…

"Be silent, 'rusty red scrap-iron'!" he hissed in a hostile manner. "Are you not forgetting what the Fat Controller warned you and Gordon of after Emily became herself again?!"

"Yes!" snapped Thomas. "What you promised to the Fat Controller, you must hold to…unless you want to be locked in the sheds forever!"

James' heart flipped within him. He now felt very frightened. What if the Fat Controller found out? He would be undeniably furious if he learned that his orders were being disobeyed once again. This made James fall silent and fall into a silent sleep.

As the other engines fell asleep, Emily stayed awake and looked at the mail wagons…

"Percy?" she whispered. "Come on out." Percy heard Emily's voice and slowly backed out of the sheds. He left his wagons in the yard and came back to the turntable. He turned to Emily's berth.

"Come here," she whispered. Percy slowly came forward and touched his buffers to Emily's. Emily touched her soft, warm nose onto Percy's.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper…did I scare you?" she whispered.

"No, Emily. You didn't…please, Emily. Do you believe me?" asked Percy.

Emily smiled kindly at the little green engine. "Of course I believe you, Percy. Monsters aren't real, but I do know something was out there…I know you're telling the truth."

Percy smiled slightly. Having Emily as a mentor alongside Gator really made him feel confident.

"Thank you, Emily," he whispered. "Please, may I stay here with you?"

"Of course, Percy," said Emily. "If you want someone to keep you warm, I'm right here."

"Sweet dreams, Emily," whispered Percy as he drifted to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Percy," whispered Emily as she fell asleep, keeping Percy warm and comfortable with her kind, gentle presence…

* * *

The next morning, Percy woke up first. His yawn woke Emily up. She saw Percy looking troubled again.

"What's wrong, Percy?" asked Emily.

"Only you believe me…no one else does…I have to take the mail again," peeped Percy.

"Please try to keep going, Percy," said Emily as he left the yards. Sometime later, the Fat Controller came to the sheds. And he didn't look very happy.

"James, what's this I hear about a truck loaded with scrap being left on the line?!" he asked annoyingly.

"Sorry, sir. I'll see to it right away," said James, washing his responsibility of his actions away.

Then the Fat Controller turned to Thomas. "And where is Percy? I've also had reports of mail not being delivered." Emily remembered the other night and spoke up.

"Uh, sir? I know what happened. Percy was taking the mail…but he got scared because he thought he saw a monster on the rails." Emily told the Fat Controller Percy's description. This puzzled the Fat Controller.

"Sir? James went into the night just after Percy left. Do you think he had something to do with it?"

The Fat Controller thought for a while…then he frowned suspiciously. "I don't know what James had to do with this, but if this confusion and delay carries on with Percy, I stand by what I said after you were saved, Emily. If anyone disrupts the peace in the engine family, they will NOT go unpunished!"

"I fully agree, sir," said Emily. "By the way, I'm looking out for Percy."

"How thoughtful, Emily. That's really useful," said the Fat Controller.

Percy was more worried than ever. He felt upset that his friends, with the exception of Emily didn't believe him. He'd seen the monster, and he didn't want to see it again, especially by himself. But then he met Gator on his way.

"Gator."

"Hello, Percy. Where are you off to this morning?" asked Gator.

"I'm just delivering the mail from last night, but maybe I should travel with you. I bet you'd know what to do if we see any monsters," said Percy.

"Any monsters? Oh, you are a funny little engine, Percy," chuckled Gator. The two engines continued to pull their trains side-by-side, each them trying to run in front of one another, but Gator quickly left Percy far behind. But as Gator approached the Sodor Suspension Bridge, he came to a stop. The bridge was very high and Gator was too scared to cross the bridge...that is until Percy raced past him and ran straight onto the other side of the bridge. Seeing Percy cross the bridge gave Gator the courage to face his fear of heights and race on after Percy. Gator easily caught up with Percy and shot past him once again. Once Gator was further enough out of sight, Percy could see Thomas coming in the other direction.

"Percy!" called Thomas cheerfully. But Percy was still cross with Thomas for not sticking up for him last night, so he ignored Thomas and continued on his way, leaving Thomas very sad.

"Don't worry, Thomas. Give him time. Give him time," said Annie and Clarabel.

As Thomas went along the line, he stopped at a signal where Emily was waiting.

"Hello, Emily," he said with low spirit.

"Hello, Thomas," replied Emily. "I've been thinking…what footprints were you talking about last night?"

Thomas sighed. He knew he would have to tell Emily everything. "Alright, Emily. Here it is: Just before Bill and Ben saved me in the storm, amongst the fallen boulders, I saw a strange footprint on one of the stones. I didn't know if there was a strange animal around or not, so I kept going back to the Clay Pits to try and see the footprints again. When I told you I had an early start...I'm sorry but I lied to you. I had plenty of self-doubt…but now, Percy doesn't want to talk to me…I've let him down…my best friend…" he said as a small tear escaped his eye.

Emily was a little upset that Thomas had lied to her, but at least he admitted it her that he was sorry about it. She didn't like Thomas blaming himself, but she also didn't like how Percy was feeling so badly.

"It's good to have a new friend on the island, Gator. I'm really glad you're not going away," smiled Percy as he and Gator went up the hill.

"But, Percy, I am going away. I've just been useful while I was waiting for my ship, and my ship is coming in tonight," said Gator. Percy was disappointed.

Meanwhile while Thomas was going along the line, he saw a big strange pile ahead with James.

"James! What is that?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's just the truck of scrap that was left on the line."

Thomas suddenly remembered! James had snuck out into the night to scare Percy with a monster-like pile of scrap!

"James, you played a trick on Percy. You made a monster out of scrap to give him a fright," he said angrily.

"What if I did? It was only a little joke," James replied smoothly.

"Not to Percy it wasn't. Percy is your friend. You need to find him and tell him what you did…and apologize!" demanded Thomas.

James went on his way, now he was beginning to feel guilty for his actions, while Thomas glared with fury. He really wanted to be behind James so he could rush up behind him and crash him right into the pile and bury him so no one could find him.

Percy was finally delivering the last of the mail when he met the Fat Controller.

"Percy, you have caused confusion and delay. The mail train is meant to travel at night so that people get their letters in the morning," he said.

"Yes, sir. I know, sir. But I had a bit of a fright last night," replied Percy. The Fat Controller was about to answer when his assistant talked from the office. "Excuse me, sir. You're wanted on the telephone."

"Oh, bother, that telephone," said the Fat Controller. "I'll be right back, Percy. You stay where you are."

Percy wanted to tell the Fat Controller about the monster he had seen, but he never got the chance. Then Thomas came by, but Percy didn't trust him now.

"Percy! I'm sorry about last night, Percy. I really am," apologized Thomas.

"Are you, Thomas? I thought at least you were my friend," hissed Percy.

"But I am your friend, Percy," protested Thomas.

"No, you're not. Friends believe each other. When you told me about the footprints, I believed you. And when I told you about the monster, you should have believed me.

"But, Percy-"

"Maybe I should go to a faraway land and make new friends, like gator. You can stay here on Sodor with the monsters!"

"Percy, listen!" But Percy had already left the station, right when the Fat Controller came back.

"Percy, I thought I told you...to wait," he ended disappointedly.

After James returned the pile of scrap to Reg, he was looking for Percy, when he saw him pass a signal.

"Percy!" he called.

"What do you want?" hissed Percy.

"I just wanted to say something...about last night," James began.

"I know you think I'm a scaredy-engine, James, but I'm not. And I'm going to do something to prove it, something brave that will surprise you all," snapped Percy as he went down another line.

Meanwhile, Emily was refilling her tanks at a water-tower when she heard Thomas' whistle.

"Emily! Emily!" he called as he stopped beside her.

"What is it, Thomas?" she asked.

"I learned what scared Percy last night…a huge pile of scrap was left on the line…and James put it there to tease Percy further."

Emily gasped…then she became very angry…so angry that Thomas became a little frightened.

"That lying, back-stabbing BEAST!" she said furiously. "If he performs any more stunts, the Fat Controller will find out and he will be put to justice once and for all!"

* * *

That night in Tidmouth Sheds, Thomas was waiting to see James. So was Emily. Her anger was greater than it was the previous night and as she saw James return, all she wanted to do was start sounding the alarm and lure the Fat Controller in…but not yet.

"Well, did you talk to him?" asked Thomas.

"Talk to whom?" asked James.

"To Percy, James. Did you apologize?!" interrogated Thomas.

"I tried, but he wouldn't listen. He started talking about doing something brave," replied James.

"Where is he? He hasn't come back," said Thomas.

"He's probably taking the mail train, Thomas," said Henry.

"Yes, and he probably thinks taking the mail train is very brave," bragged James.

Henry, Edward and Emily glared at James with utmost anger when the Fat Controller arrived.

"Has anyone seen Percy? I don't know what's got into that engine: Running backwards through the docks, delivering mail late, driving away when I'm talking to him. Now he hasn't collected his mail trucks."

"Perhaps I should go and look for him, sir," volunteered Thomas.

"Perhaps, Thomas, you should take the mail train for your friend. And if you do see Percy, tell him I would like a word," said the Fat Controller.

"Yes, sir. I will, sir."

So Thomas took the mail train again, but he couldn't help worrying about his friend and wondering where he could be.

* * *

Back at Tidmouth Sheds, Emily flashed a look of anger and aggression to the red engine. After hearing the truth from Thomas, she was very pleased she didn't forgive James, but now she didn't even think of James as an engine…

"James!" she shouted. Just as James looked up, Emily was wearing the same expression of fury and vengeance she wore on the night she defied him and Gordon just before Thomas saved her. She didn't care if she woke up the whole neighbourhood. If she had to be aggressive, she'd do it just to protect Percy.

"You never learned your lesson, did you? Did you hear NOTHING the Fat Controller said after you and Gordon destroyed my happiness?! You may remember that I forgave everyone for giving up on me…except Gordon and you! I still haven't forgiven you, but now, after what you did to Percy, I wish the Fat Controller NEVER brought you here to begin with! You are still the same self-centered, uncaring, mean and insensitive wretch who hurt me for so long! Now you're hurting someone even smaller than you! You may have a number in the Steam Team, BUT YOU WILL NEVER BE A TRUE SODOR ENGINE!"

James gasped and his face formed a look of pure hurt and shock. Emily looked around and could see Gordon's face wearing a look of terror. Besides that, Henry and Edward were looking at her with wide, shocked eyes.

As Emily glared at James again, he had fallen asleep, still wearing the fearful expression. Gordon fell back asleep too.

Edward whispered, "Why did you do that? You might have stirred up the neighbourhood, Emily."

"And I'm sorry if I did…but I had to give James the words of punishment he deserved for far too many years," Emily replied. Then she whispered quietly. "Don't you think he's broken his word to the Fat Controller? He's getting pleasure over being mean to someone smaller than him."

Edward stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke. "I'm afraid he must have forgotten, Emily. If anything more happens to Percy, you should tell the Fat Controller. Like Thomas told you. He can put a stop to this, and he will."

* * *

Thomas was still on his way when he saw something green up ahead. "Percy!" he called, but when he came up beside the engine…

"Oh, Gator. Hello."

"Hello, Thomas."

"Have you seen Percy anywhere?" asked Thomas.

"Oh, not since this morning, Thomas. And I was hoping to say good-bye," replied Gator.

"Good-bye?"

"Yes, my ship has come in. I'm leaving Sodor tonight. Bye, Thomas! Nice to meet you!" called Gator as he veered down another track.

"Good-bye, Gator," called Thomas.

At the docks, Cranky was lifting Percy onto Gator's ship! "Are you sure the Fat Controller wanted you on this ship? That doesn't sound right to me…and the last time I loaded a small tank engine, it was Rosie, and I had to put her down again," said Cranky.

"It is right, Cranky. I'm going to work far away, like Gator. I can't stay on Sodor forever. I can be brave and really useful on other railways too," answered Percy.

"If you say so," said Cranky.

Meanwhile, Thomas returned to Tidmouth Sheds and Emily heard him speaking up. "Where is he? Hasn't he come back yet? James." James was still asleep. "James! Where is he, James?!" snarled Thomas.

"Answer my saviour, you filthy nuisance!" snapped Emily.

* * *

Then Gator arrived at the docks and Cranky lifted him too. "Pretty high up now, but not as high as the high mountains, not at all," he said to himself. Suddenly…

"Oh, Percy. What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to work in a faraway land and show everyone how brave I can be. Just like you," said Percy.

"Hmm, yes, well...running away from your problems not very brave, Percy," said Gator.

* * *

Back at Tidmouth Sheds, James had replied to Thomas. "I already told you. He's doing something brave."

"Something brave. Like what?" asked Thomas.

"Oh, how should I know? Maybe he's gone up to the clay pits to catch a monster," replied James.

"Yes, James. The clay pits. Why didn't I think of that? Come on. We'd better find him before he gets into trouble!" said Thomas.

"I'm not going. Uh, I'm too sleepy," said James.

"What? You have to come. You have to apologize and... you're not scared, are you?" teased Thomas. Soon, he and James were huffing along the line for the Clay Pits.

"I'm not scared of anything. I'm the bravest engine on the Island of Sodor. Come on, Thomas, keep up!" huffed James.

Suddenly, a loud horn split the air. "The ship," whispered Thomas. Then Thomas remembered what Percy said about being as brave as Gator and going to a faraway land. All the memories when Rosie tried to run away because of Thomas' unfair anger towards her hit him like a runaway train.

"No. He wouldn't! James, wait!" But James disappeared around the bend on his way to the Clay Pits.

The big ship was already starting to leave by the time Thomas came racing into the docks. When he saw the ship leaving, he never felt so frightened to lose one pf his best friends.

"No. Stop! There's been a mistake. You can't leave! Come back!" he shouted. "Stop the ship, Cranky!"

"Stop the ship?" asked Cranky

"Don't let it go. This is an emergency!"

Cranky turned round quickly and cast his line out. It sailed through the air and just caught the end of the ship. "Got it!" he cheered. But then, the ship started to tighten against Cranky's line.

"Uh-oh!" said Cranky. The ship began to pull him out towards the bay.

"You'll never hold her. She'll pull you overboard!" called Salty.

"Careful, Cranky!" shouted Porter. Cranky could only howl in agony as he was forcibly dragged along with the ship.

"No. Stop!" Thomas hollered. Alarms started ringing all over the ship. The crew ran and shouted as spotlights scattered around the ship until one shone on Cranky's hook.

"Loosen up your chain, Cranky. Let go your hook," urged Salty.

"Oh, I can't. I can't!" groaned Cranky, as he started to buckle and his screws flew out of their sockets.

Luckily, the captain was able to stop his ship before cranky was pulled off the docks.

"I told you I had it," he sighed. Salty was relieved too.

"Percy, you can't leave."

"Percy? Is that what all this is about?!" exclaimed Cranky.

"Percy's not on the ship, Thomas," called Gator.

"I unloaded Percy half an hour ago," said Cranky. "And now I'm all disjointed out of shape for nothing!" he complained.

"You unloaded Percy? Then... where is he now?" asked Thomas.

* * *

Percy was on his way back to the Clay Pits. What Gator said on the ship was true. Running away from your problems isn't so brave.

As he passed Bill, Ben and Timothy, Bill got the wrong idea from his twin.

"Ben."

"What?"

"You're making puffing noises in your sleep again."

"Am not."

"Are too. So don't," with that, the twins fell asleep again.

Percy was rounding another bend towards the landslide site. "If I can find those footprints Thomas saw, it will prove that the monster is real, and then everyone will believe me and realize how brave I really am. But I do hope I only find footprints and not the monster again," he said to himself.

Percy stopped at the danger signs. He had had trouble with going past danger signs before. And this was the area where the landslide had been.

Then James came by, still in a mild teasing manner. "Hello, scaredy-engine. Oh, sorry, Percy. I shouldn't have said that. Actually, what I do need to say is-"

"I'm braver than you'll ever be, James," Percy cut in.

"Oh, really? If you're so brave, why don't you keep going and look for the monster?" challenged James.

"But...it's not safe to go past danger signs," said Percy.

"Only if you are a scaredy-engine. Let's see who is really the bravest, shall we?" said James as he slowly huffed forward. Thomas arrived at the Clay pits too. He snuck past Bill and Ben and through the tunnel.

"Percy. Percy? Are you here?" he called. Bill woke up again.

"Ugh, now I can even hear what you're dreaming, Ben."

"That wasn't my dream, Bill."

"Must have been Timothy's dream, then." They both looked at Timothy, still asleep.

"Oh, that Timothy!" the twins said together.

"Monster. Oh, monster. Come out, come out wherever you are!" called James as he kept moving along through the valley.

"James, wait. This is not a good idea. It isn't brave not to be careful, James. It's silly," cautioned Percy.

"That's just what I'd expect a scaredy-engine to say," James replied as he huffed on.

"James, wait. Come back! It isn't safe!" Then a rock clattered from above, revealing a footprint. "Thomas was right."

"Percy? Percy!" called Thomas as he kept looking around the Clay Pits.

"Nobody can say I'm the scaredy-engine now. I mean, I don't see any other engines up here, nothing to be frightened of...at all," James bragged to himself as he proudly kept going. But there was something poking out of the rocks up ahead, and it looked like...

"The monster!" James stopped and reversed quickly. His shouts and whistles were heard by Thomas and Percy.

"The monster! The monster!" cried James.

"Th-the monster?" stammered Percy.

"I saw it!" cried James.

The cliffs were still unstable. Percy had to move back to get away from the danger. Then there was trouble. A boulder crashed right behind James. He could now go no further backwards.

"No, James. Go forward. It's a landslide!" called Percy.

"Percy, you have to get out of there!" shouted Thomas.

Percy heard Thomas, but James was desperately in need of help. Despite everything James had done, Percy couldn't leave him, leaving James to be buried by the landslide as punishment for his sins wasn't the right thing for him to do, that wasn't who Percy was. "James needs my help. I must be brave." So Percy puffed bravely into the landslide to save James.

"Percy! NO!" called Thomas. He wanted to tell Percy to let James be defeated after everything he did, but he was cut off by the falling rocks. Percy had already made his decision.

"Go forward!" cried Percy.

"The monster!" screamed James.

"Go forward!"

"The monster!"

"The landslide!"

"Landslide? Huh?!"

Percy rushed forward and shunted James on his way. The landslide began to follow closely behind them. James went faster and faster and so did Percy. They rushed past falling boulders and dust clouds…until Percy was lifted right up off the tracks by the landslide! James continued on past Bill, Ben and Marion. "Woah! Look out!" cried Marion. As Percy was pushed helplessly by the landslide, one rock knocked the monster's head off the cliff and fell through the air for Percy. "Oh no!" he cried and shut his and prepared for the worst...but just it was about to him, Marion caught it with her shovel, and the landslide finally stopped. Luckily, nobody was hurt.

"That's not a monster. It's...a rock!" exclaimed Percy.

"No, it's a fossil," corrected Marion.

"A what?" asked Bill as he and Ben stopped beside Marion.

"A fossil. When something is buried for millions of years, it turns into stone, and that's called a fossil," explained Marion.

"So it is a rock now," said Percy.

"Ah, yes, a rock formed from the bones of a dinosaur." Bill and Ben didn't get it all.

"Oh, alas, poor dinosaur," sighed Marion.

"Where have I heard something like that before?" murmured Percy's driver. "Uh…never mind."

"Oh, I wonder where the rest of the dinosaur bones are. Oh, my. I've never dug up a dinosaur before," smiled Marion. "Um, maybe...if you wouldn't mind, you could dig me out first?" asked Percy. "Ooh, oops. Sorry, Percy. I wasn't thinking. Of course I should dig you out first!" chuckled Marion.

While Percy was being dug out, Thomas came by and gasped. "Cinders and Ashes! Percy, are you alright?!"

"Yes, Thomas. Rather dusty and full of earth, but nothing else," replied Percy.

"You'd best get to the Steamworks, Percy," said Thomas. And he hurried away to find Emily.

* * *

Meanwhile, James was by himself not far from Marion, safe but shocked and astounded...and very ashamed. He could not believe how brave Percy was...saving him even after such horrific teasing. As he looked back on his actions towards the little green engine, he began to think how a certain engine would react if he...or she saw how badly he hurt someone again.

James let a small tear escape his eye. He huffed slowly and shamefully out of the Clay Pits, a sadder and wiser engine.

* * *

At Knapford Station, the Fat Controller's phone began to ring.

"Hello?" he answered. It was the dock manager. The Fat Controller heard all about Percy being loaded and unloaded and how Cranky was almost pulled off the docks to stop the ship.

"Oh dear…OK. Goodbye," said the Fat Controller. "What in Sodor's name is going on?!" he asked. Then the phone rang again.

"Bother that telephone!" said the Fat Controller. When he answered it, it was Percy's driver from the Clay Pit's telephone. He told the Fat Controller all about the landslide. The Fat Controller listened very carefully.

"Leave this outrage to me," he said calmly, but very crossly underneath.

* * *

Emily was just waking up when she saw Thomas rushing back toward the sheds. "Emily!" he exclaimed.

"Thomas? What's all the hurry?" asked Emily.

"A landslide has occurred at the Clay Pits! Percy just escaped and is now being helped to the Steamworks."

"Percy?" gasped Emily. "Is he alright? And where's James?"

"He was at the Clay Pits too. Come with me," said Thomas. As they made their way to Knapford Station, Thomas told Emily everything what had happened before, during and after the landslide. Emily was astounded by Percy's bravery, but absolutely enraged by James' actions.

"He led him right into that landslide…he almost destroyed Percy!" she said vengefully.

"OK, now that's an exaggeration, Emily. Percy has been severely damaged by the landslide, but the damage done to him isn't fatal," Thomas clarified. Even so, Thomas and Emily were worried that the Fat Controller would be undeniably infuriated. Emily told him everything Thomas told her…the Fat Controller was undeniably infuriated…but not with Thomas or Emily.

"Whoever caused these disturbances will have me to answer to!" he snapped. He was so angry he couldn't even speak James' name. And he stormed back into his office.

"I'll find James, Emily. I'll see to it he apologizes to Percy once and for all," said Thomas.

"Very well, Thomas," said Emily. Then Emily got an idea. She went to the Steamworks in the hopes to keep Percy company.

"Victor?" called Emily.

"Hello, my friend," said Victor. "What engine problem brings you here, Emily?"

"I'm alright…but is Percy here?" asked Emily.

"Yes indeed. He's right here," said Victor. He led Emily further into the Steamworks and she found Percy being checked over by Kevin. She turned round on the turntable and reversed until she was beside the little green engine.

"Are you alright, Percy?" she asked.

"Much better, Emily," smiled Percy. "Did you come here to keep me company?"

"Yes, I did, Percy," smiled Emily. "You are a truly brave engine to go against that landslide…and, not that you made any wrong choices…but why did you save James after all that he did?"

"I couldn't leave him, Emily…and he isn't all bad. He's truly a friend…"

Emily stayed quiet…then finally spoke. "Oh well. You've been a trooper, little Percy."

"Oh! Someone's coming, Percy. I'll check it out," said Kevin. It was Thomas and James.

"How's Percy getting on, Kevin?" James asked with concern.

"Well, they're still getting the earth out of his funnel. But it shouldn't be too long now," said Kevin. But then…

"Hello." There was Percy.

"Percy! I...I owe you an apology. I played a trick on you and made a scrap monster to scare you. I'm so sorry, Percy," James said with honesty.

"And I'm sorry too. I should have listened when you told me about the monster. I should have believed you. I hope we're still friends," said Thomas.

"Of course we are. We all are," said Percy. After the three friends laughed a little, Emily came out beside Percy. Thomas was happy to see that she was still supporting Percy with her company. But all of a sudden, Henry came rattling angrily alongside Thomas.

"It's all over, James," he hissed. "You won't get away this time."

"JAMES THE RED ENGINE!" roared an all-too familiar voice from Henry's cab. "WHAT do you think you're DOING?!" It was the Fat Controller. He stepped down from Henry, climbed onto James' running plate and pointed a finger straight at his face.

"YOU, James, are an engine of MY railway, and an engine of the Steam Team! You will do as I say WHEN I say it, and obey all my orders! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

James said nothing, but the fear and shame his face was showing answered the question, yes.

"YOU have caused confusion and delay! Percy has been terribly frightened! You stole a whole pile of scrap and scared Percy just so you could get pleasure out of teasing him! He almost ran away to desperately prove his bravery, Cranky was almost pulled right off the docks, and because of YOU, Percy was nearly destroyed and his crew was nearly killed by a landslide!"

"You really are over exaggerating that, sir. The damage was nothing fatal, and my driver and fireman are perfectly fine, if a little shaken," interrupted Percy, while Thomas looked nervously away when the Fat Controller mentioned Cranky.

"He made a poor engine suffer just for the pleasure and amusement!" shouted Henry. "James broke his word to the Fat Controller and disobeyed his orders again!"

"Is everyone going to ignore what I just said?" Percy asked no one in particular.

The Fat Controller swung round to Henry. "As such, James the Red Engine is BANISHED!" Thomas, Percy, and Emily all gasped.

The Fat Controller swung back to James. "Emily and Thomas have told me everything! Things worked MUCH better here before you arrived! I shall NOT be allowing you back for a whole fortnight!" he thundered.

James didn't argue. He started to reverse without a word when Percy's voice spoke up suddenly. "Wait! James, don't go!"

"What did you say?" exclaimed the Fat Controller.

"Let James stay! Please!" pleaded Percy.

"After what he did to you?! And after breaking his word?!" argued Henry.

"But he's truly sorry…he really is!" protested Percy.

"Yes, sir," said Thomas. "James is sorry and he really means it."

"But…he broke his word I made after you saved Emily, Thomas. I said that disrupted peace will not go unpunished," said the Fat Controller.

"Yes, I fully agree," said Thomas. "But you can't send him away from his home…you bought him in the first place, and now you're going to throw him out? He's number 5…a member of the Steam Team…give him a lighter punishment…let him stay…"

The Fat Controller thought long and hard…James was indeed a self-indulgent engine, very selfish, blind and stubborn…but he was still an engine of Sodor who still wanted to be responsible, reliable and really useful.

"Very well…" he finally said. "I will put him back in the out-of-use siding for a fortnight instead," he said. Henry's anger faded and he sighed quietly to himself.

"Two weeks…I would have accepted much longer, but whatever punishment is given to me, I will accept," said James in a submissive manner.

"Thank you, James," said the Fat Controller. "You will start your fortnight there tonight…meanwhile, once Percy is mended, come to the Town Square. I have something to present to you."

"Yes, sir," said Thomas. James looked at Percy. Percy winked and James smiled lightly as he went on his way to prepare for the Town Square.

* * *

Soon Percy was fully mended and ready to go with Thomas. "Coming, Emily?" asked Thomas.

"Yes. I'll meet you there later," said Emily as she left on her own. Once Thomas collected Annie and Clarabel, he and Percy went on their way to the Town Square.

"Turns out the footprints were made by a dinosaur too. They left their shape in the rock, just like the fossil bones," said Thomas.

"So the monster was really a dinosaur a long, long time ago," said Percy.

"See for yourself," said Thomas.

Wow!" breathed Percy. The dinosaur bones were all gathered and put back together to form a skeleton model which grabbed everyone's attention. Then the Fat Controller began his speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, engines and coaches, it is with great pleasure that I come here today..."

Suddenly, Emily arrived. "Thomas, Percy, Gator is leaving," she said.

"What? I thought he'd already gone," puzzled Percy.

"Well, no. His ship got delayed...again. There was a bit of a holdup…" said Thomas nervously.

"What kind of a holdup?" asked Percy.

"I'll tell you later…" As Thomas looked at Emily, she could tell that he had held Gator's ship back. She didn't want to see him feeling guilty, so she just gave him a look of sympathy and turned her attention to the Fat Controller's speech.

The Fat Controller was still in his speech. "And that is why Percy is not just a really useful fossil hunter but one of the bravest engines on the island of...uh, fizzling fireboxes. Where's he gone now?" Percy had gone and Thomas simply smiled at the Fat Controller.

At the docks, workmen were repairing Cranky's bends and re-tightening his screws. "Won't be long now, Cranky. You alright?" asked a workman.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," said Cranky.

"OK, we're gonna go up now, up in the air," said Gator as he was lifted slowly and carefully.

"Gator. Gator!" called a voice.

"Oh, Percy. I didn't think you were going to make it," said Gator as Percy stopped just beside him and beneath him.

"Neither did I, but...I wanted to say good-bye...and to thank you," smiled Percy.

"Thank me...for what?

"For being such a good friend and for helping me learn that I could be brave."

"You helped me too, Percy. Having seen how brave you've been, well, I think I'm ready for the highest of high bridges now. But I'll miss you," answered Gator.

"I'll miss you too. Have a safe journey," wished Percy.

"I will. Good-bye, Percy," smiled Gator as he disappeared down onto the deck. Percy watched the ship leave. Thomas and James came by, calling their goodbyes to Gator as the ship departed Sodor.

"I guess you have to be brave to say good-bye to someone too," said Percy.

"That sounds very wise, Percy. Did Gator tell you that?" asked James.

"No, I thought of it all by myself," replied Percy.

"Then I guess you must be wise now too, Percy, as well as brave," said Thomas.

"Very brave. I was amazed by what you did at the Clay Pits," praised James.

"I rushed to the rescue," said Percy as he and his friends began to leave.

Percy was sad to say good-bye to his new friend, but he was happy that he still had his old friends beside him. As they left the docks, Percy felt sad again, just as Emily whistled in. "Hello you three," she greeted. "Hello, Emily," said the three engines together.

"Percy, you look a little sad. You wanna come with me?" asked Emily.

"Thank you, Emily. See you later, Thomas," peeped Percy.

Emily took Percy along the line, back to Tidmouth Sheds by herself so she could talk to him and help him feel better. Once they were home, when Percy was inside his berth, Emily puffed onto his line to face him.

"Thank you for all your support and guidance, Emily," peeped Percy. "You never gave up on me and always believed in me."

"Well, you're just a little guy, Percy. A cute, playful little chap," said Emily sweetly.

"Thank you…mother," said Percy. Emily's heart jumped. She was not expecting that.

"What did you call me?" she asked, surprised, but flattered.

"I called you my mother, Emily," said Percy. "You've been so nice to me for the past few days…you've been like a mother. A kind, helpful mother."

Emily chuckled softly at that. "Aww, you're very sweet, Percy…just like Thomas, but we are engines, not people."

"But you are like a mother, Emily. You look out for me and protect me from anyone who teases me…but now, Gator isn't with us anymore. He was so much fun," Percy peeped sadly. Emily felt deeply sad for Percy and wanted him to be happy.

"Well, Percy, I know you'll miss Gator…why don't I give you something to really cheer you up?"

At first Percy was puzzled, but Emily gently buffered up then whispered, "My little Percy…" and she kissed Percy on his cheek. When Percy felt Emily's soft lips and her lovely, warm kiss, he squealed with excitement and blushed bright red. Emily giggled a bit at his reaction. When she released from Percy's cheek, she smiled and her eyes twinkled in the sunlight.

At first, Percy couldn't say anything. He remembered well when Mrs. Kyndley's daughter kissed him as thanks for arranging the good-luck package for her wedding. Finally, Percy found his voice again…

"Emily…you…you kissed me!" Emily felt happy that Percy felt much better, but also a little surprised herself over kissing him. She truly loved Thomas more than any engine, but giving Percy a kiss, just as a friend was alright.

"You kissed me!" Percy said again.

"I did, Percy. A friendly, motherly kiss is what you needed," smiled Emily.

"Thank you so much…mother," peeped Percy.

"Anytime, my little one," chuckled Emily as she touched her nose to Percy's.

"Oh, Emily," gasped Percy. "You're the best mother an engine could ask for…"

"And you're a cute son, Percy…just like Thomas," replied Emily sweetly, then she went into her own berth.

Thomas came by later that evening, while James had gone to the out-of-use siding to fulfill his punishment. "Hello, Emily, Percy," he said. "You look much happier, Percy."

"I am, Thomas. I feel whole again," smiled Percy.

"And how are you, Emily?" asked Thomas.

"I'm happy now that you're home again. Sleep beside me if you like," she said sweetly.

"Thank you, Emily!" said Thomas. He reversed into the berth beside her and fell asleep as the sun went down.

For some time, the stars shone over the sheds and the moon glowed white.

"Such a wondrous day it has been," whispered Percy to himself.

"Did you enjoy your kiss, Percy?" whispered Emily. But Percy was embarrassed and pretended to be asleep.

* * *

This is it. The penultimate chapter, which amazingly isn't the longest chapter of the story, I was seriously expecting it to be longer than KOTR, but it isn't. So we've gotten a lot of Season 20 news since the last chapter, but we also learned that Arc Productions has gone bankrupt, which doesn't mean the end of it, but it most likely is going to be. In any case, Arc Productions, you've done a magnificent job animation Thomas and you will be greatly missed. Next up, it's the final chapter folks, one more to go. Please leave a review for this chapter and stay tuned for the finale of "Thomas and Emily's Relationship" with "Flatbeds of Fear."


	30. Flatbeds of Fear

Since Percy's escapade with Gator and learning to be brave, over the next couple of months, life seemed much easier for Thomas and Emily. James remained in the out-of-use siding as punishment for his actions against Percy for the required two weeks. Thomas and Emily were able to work together more often again and Emily also gained an honour she never expected. Percy considered her a mother for all her kindness and consideration she gave him. Henry was back to pulling the Flying Kipper and James obeyed the Fat Controller's orders and didn't leave the out-of-use siding. After a couple of months, strange and unusual events started happening again…

It was a misty day on the Island of Sodor. At Brendam Docks, Cranky was unloading a big shipment of building supplies. Thomas came by to fetch the supplies…when he heard a strange sound in the air.

"What's that noise?" he asked Salty.

"Arr…that'll be…the Flatbeds of Fear, Thomas," cackled Salty.

"The Flatbeds of Fear? What are they?" asked Thomas.

"Well now, me hearty," began Salty. "Long, long ago an old engine was puffing along the tracks, pulling three flatbeds…when suddenly, his coupling snapped, and the flatbeds rolled away. Now the Flatbeds roll the rails, a whistling and a wailing and looking for an engine to couple up to. So, me hearty, beware the Flatbeds of Fear. They might come rolling after you!"

"Enough of your tall tales, Salty. Thomas has work to do. Off you go, Thomas," said Cranky. So Thomas was coupled up to the flatbeds, and with a toot of his whistle, was on his way.

"Watch out for the Flatbeds of Fear, Thomas. You never know when they'll come rolling by!" called Salty.

Thomas clattered through the mist with the pipes on his flatbeds, when suddenly…he heard the noise again.

"What's that?" Thomas looked around, but he couldn't see anything that could have made the mysterious sound.

_"Something strange is happening,"_ he thought to himself. _"What will Emily think?"_ So Thomas continued on his way, all while listening to the strange sound.

Emily and Henry were at the shunting yard, talking to each other about the James' fortnight in the out-of-use siding.

"It was nice to get some peace from James, Emily...he should have been kept in the out-of-use siding longer," joked Henry.

"Maybe so, Henry, but James was truly sorry for what he did," Emily replied.

"I still would have liked to see him leave for a fortnight," muttered Henry. "What he did to Percy was completely inexcusable."

"But like Thomas said, Henry. This is his home. Please try to let it go," soothed Emily. Henry smiled lightly. "Very well, Emily. You always seem to know what to do." Then Thomas arrived.

"Hello, Thomas," greeted Emily.

Thomas was happy to see the beautiful engine through the mist, but his mind was still on Salty's tale. "I just heard the Flatbeds of Fear," he said.

"The Flat-who of what?" asked Henry.

"The Flatbeds of Fear," repeated Thomas. "Salty told me about them. They roll around the rails in search of an engine, and they whistle and wail."

"That sounds spooky," shuddered Henry.

"It was," said Thomas. Emily thought this was just another tall tale of Salty's.

"Ohh! Don't be such a pair of scaredy engines," she said in a motherly manner. "There must be a perfectly sensible explanation." And she gave Thomas a slight smile.

"I hope so. I really do," whistled Henry. Emily and Thomas worked together in the foggy atmosphere. Working together made them both feel very close. Emily found foggy weather rather interesting, but Thomas found it to be a little unnerving.

That night, Thomas, Emily and Henry stayed awake longer than the other engines. Thomas and Emily were looking at the stars in peace and quiet…but Henry was still very worried over what Thomas said about the "Flatbeds of Fear."

"Whatever could they be?" he asked. "What could the Flatbeds of Fear do?"

Emily sighed with mild exasperation. "Oh Henry. Don't worry so much. You worried about the rain spoiling your paint so many years ago, and why do you worry about just some old flatbeds?"

"What Thomas said sounds rather unusual and unsettling," said Henry. "I hope you're right for a sensible explanation."

"I don't intend to brag," said Emily. "But somehow, I know there's a sensible explanation."

Despite believing Salty's story, Thomas slightly agreed with Emily. "I'm sure there is. Many ghost stories are pretend after all," he said.

Henry fell asleep with a full, occupied mind, while Thomas and Emily kept watching the night.

"Emily…" Thomas whispered. "Just so you know…I think the Flatbeds of Fear might be real…but at the same time, I'm very sure your prediction is correct."

"Thank you, Thomas," whispered Emily. "It's lovely to know that you believe in me, just like you always have."

"I always will, Emily…and thank you for caring so much for Percy during his tough ordeal. You've really proven a deep, everlasting care in your friends."

Emily smiled. "Just like you, Thomas. You've helped me so much…I…I…I don't know what to say," she whispered before she began to yawn.

"Come on, dear. Let's enjoy a peaceful sleep," whispered Thomas. Emily smiled and reversed into her berth. So did Thomas.

"Goodnight, Emily," he whispered.

"Goodnight, Thomas," whispered Emily. Soon they were both asleep under the misty but peaceful sky.

The next morning, the fog was still lingering as Thomas and Emily woke up and went their separate ways to work. They felt disappointed to see each other go, but held faith that they'd see each other after work was done. Henry was sent to pick up the pipes from the shunting yard and take them to Vicarstown.

"I don't want to hear the Flatbeds of Fear…I don't want to hear the Flatbeds of Fear!" he chanted nervously as he huffed along the line through the mist. Then a deep, droning sound split the air.

"Oh no!" cried Henry. "It's the Flatbeds of Fear!" But it was just a cow in the field.

"I don't want to hear the Flatbeds of Fear…I don't want to hear the Flatbeds of Fear!" he chanted again. Then a high, shrill sound travelled through the air.

"Oh no!" Henry cried again. "It's the Flatbeds of Fear!" But it was just the station master blowing his whistle.

Henry finally made it to the shunting yard and picked up the pipes. "I don't want to hear the Flatbeds of Fear…I don't want to hear the Flatbeds of Fear!" he chanted once more. Then Henry heard some whistling…and some wailing.

"Oh no…that's not a cow in the field…and it's not the guard's whistle! It must be…the Flatbeds of Fear!"

Henry was much too scared to keep on puffing. He slowed right down, so his driver took him onto the siding, thinking there was something wrong. Henry stopped and he wouldn't budge. Emily had to be called to take the flatbeds to Vicarstown. When she saw Henry, she was surprised and a little tired of his over-worrying.

"You are being very silly, Henry. There really are no such things as the 'Flatbeds of Fear'," she said.

"But there are! I heard them!" insisted Henry.

"Nonsense. What did you actually hear?" asked Emily.

"I heard a whistling and a wailing sound…just like Thomas said!" he called as he left the flatbeds behind for Emily to take.

"Oh. Well, I still think there must be a sensible explanation," said Emily as she coupled up.

She took the flatbeds along the line, feeling confident and sure that her prediction was right. At first, everything seemed safe and simple in the mist…Then Emily heard something too. "What's that noise?" she asked. She slowed down carefully. "Thomas? Are you playing a trick on me?"

But Emily couldn't see Thomas anywhere. She huffed on, but the sound slowly became louder and closer.

"Henry, is that you?" There was no sign of Henry. Emily puffed away as fast as she could, but the whistling and wailing was right behind her.

"Oh no!" she trembled. "Maybe there isn't a sensible explanation. Maybe it really is…the Flatbeds of Fear!"

Emily puffed faster and faster as she tried to get away from the Flatbeds of Fear. Then there was trouble. Emily took a turn too fast. Her wheel lifted off the ground and she feared she would go flying into a field, just like she did all those years ago under Gordon and James' tyranny. Luckily, her wheel touched the rail again, but the pipes came loose and rolled off the flatbeds.

"Bubbling Boilers!" cried Emily. Then she sighed with relief. "At least I can't hear the Flatbeds of Fear anymore. They must have gone away after another engine," she said.

Rocky had to be called to help load the spilled pipes onto the flatbeds again. Soon, the track was clear. Emily whistled happily and went slowly and carefully on her way. This time, she didn't hear any whistling and wailing…but she was still rather frightened over what she had heard and if she was wrong about her thoughts on a sensible explanation…

Meanwhile, Thomas was at the docks. "Have you got some more pipes ready for me, Cranky?" he asked.

"Keep your funnel on, Thomas!" Cranky cranked. "Nearly done."

Salty cackled like a pirate. "There's a bit of a breeze blowing up, me hearties," he said.

Thomas heard the whistle and wail again. "Oh no! It's the Flatbeds of Fear," he said.

"There are no Flatbeds of Fear," corrected Cranky. "That's just the wind whistling through the pipes."

"Really?" gasped Thomas.

"Heh! You engines," sighed Cranky.

"Salty! You said the whistling and wailing was the Flatbeds of Fear!" exclaimed Thomas.

"Arr!" replied Salty. "That I did…but, it might just have been the wind."

"You were teasing us all along!" exclaimed Thomas.

"That's the way it is with us dock-side Diesels," chuckled Salty. Then Thomas remembered. Emily...did she have to endure the flatbeds and the sound he heard? Thomas' mind became full and all he could think about was Emily for the rest of the day until night fell.

That night, Emily was late getting back to the sheds. Thomas was wondering where she was and when she returned, she looked scared and confused as she reversed into the berth beside him.

"Oh, Thomas. You were right!" she shuddered. "The Flatbeds of Fear are real!"

"What do you mean? You're the one who was right. There WAS a sensible explanation," said Thomas.

"Really? But I heard the sound, and it kept following me and…what explanation?" she asked.

"It was one of Salty's tall tales. That noise was just the wind blowing through the pipes," said Thomas.

Emily blushed red with surprise. "Wind? Blowing through the pipes? Oh…I-I see. I knew it had to be something. I wasn't really scared."

But everyone knew that Emily really had been frightened. Soon, all the engines were asleep…except Thomas and Emily. Thomas was looking at Emily intently. She looked rather scared. Her eyes were wide and her teeth were chattering slightly. Thomas couldn't resist. He had to keep her feeling safe. He huffed out of his berth, turned round to her berth and buffered gently to her.

"Emily…if you really were frightened, it's OK to say so. Don't feel ashamed," he whispered.

"I'm not just ashamed, Thomas," she shivered. "I'm just so scared about what happened on the line. I don't think I can sleep alone in this berth...I need you to stay with me...in the fog…I almost fell over…just like that accident I had when…when…" Thomas knew what she was talking about.

"Shh…" he whispered, touching his nose to hers. "Don't worry, Emily. You're OK and safe with me. I'll protect you tonight...I'l always protect you. Sleep well and sweet dreams."

Emily relaxed and blushed when she heard these words. She felt safe feeling that Thomas, her best friend and savior would protect her, giving her warmth and comfort.

"Goodnight, Thomas...my little knight and sweet dreams," she whispered as she fell asleep with a calm smile on her face.

"Goodnight, Emily," Thomas whispered, blushing when she called him her little knight. Watching over his queen's beautiful sleeping form, his mind flashed back to before he first laid his eyes on the beautiful emerald angel in front of him...Back then he didn't know a thing about love, but then, she came into his life and changed it forever...

_The engine was beautiful. It had shiny emerald green paintwork from boiler to tender, with gold bands around the boiler and gold lining on the tender, a gleaming brass safety valve, chocolate brown running-boards, a tall funnel with a gold ring around it, bronze buffers, very big driving wheels and a face that was distinctively feminine. Thomas had never seen an engine like it before._

_The Fat Controller spoke up, "Thomas, meet Emily." Thomas was struggling to come up with words. He was speechless by Emily's beauty. At last he managed to find his words. "H-hello, Emily," he said nervously blushing. Emily smiled at him, which Thomas blush even more. "Hello, Thomas," she said with a beautiful Scottish accent. Thomas thought she sounded like an angel and her smile was absolutely breathtaking. _

_"He seems really nice," she thought to herself and saw his nervous blush. "He looks really cute too and almost...handsome in a way."_

_"Emily, collect your coaches, you and your driver must learn the line," said the Fat Controller._

_"Yes, sir," she answered and with a toot from her whistle, Emily steamed __gracefully __out of the station. Thomas was impressed but speechless. Emily was by far the most beautiful engine he had ever seen in his entire life. He couldn't take his eyes of her as he watched her puff away. Thomas was so preoccupied watching Emily that his driver had to blow his whistle to get Thomas' attention. "Come on, Thomas," said his driver, "we've got a schedule to keep up."_

_"Oh, y-yeah, r-right," Thomas stuttered and puffed out of the station._

Thomas smiled as he remembered that wonderful moment. He had started out being so nervous around her when they first met and he didn't know a thing about love. He then remembered when he told Annie and Clarabel about his feelings for Emily...

_"Well, Thomas, judging by what you said it's clear that you obviously care about Emily deeply, as more than just a friend."_

_Thomas was confused. "More than just a friend?"_

_"Yes, Thomas, you said you can't help but admire her beauty and you feel nervous around her. You've been having these feelings because you care about her as more than just a friend, it means you've fallen in love with her, Thomas," said Clarabel._

_Thomas could hardly believe what he had heard. "Y-you mean like husband and wife sort of love?"_

_"Yes, Thomas, that kind of love."_

_Thomas didn't know what to make of this. "I'm in love with Emily?" He didn't know anything about that kind of love. What if she felt the same way he did? What if she didn't? He had so many questions._

_"Do you think maybe...she feels the same way about me?"_

_"We don't know, Thomas," Annie started. "That's up to you to find out yourself," finished Clarabel._

That was an event he was never going to forget...but he still hadn't found out if Emily really loved as much as he loved her. He had a small glimmer of hope ever since Rosie revealed they were both competing for his heart, so Emily did have feelings for him too, but she had said nothing to him about them, out of nervousness he assumed. Thomas wished he could get over his nervousness and reveal his everlasting love for Emily to her face...but for now he was holding her close to him, protecting her from her fears.

"...I love you, Emily...I always have and I always will for all eternity...my emerald angel..." he whispered, but he knew she couldn't hear since she was in such a deep sleep at that point, so he fell asleep too, never separating his buffers or nose from her own...Sometime later, when Thomas was deep in his sleep, Emily was deep into her dreams, but in her sleep she whispered, "...I love you too, Tommy...I always will...my cobalt star..."

And after that, nobody ever spoke about the Flatbeds of Fear again…except maybe Salty.

"…and to this day, the Flatbeds of Fear roll the Sodor rails looking for an engine to couple up to," he told Bill and Ben the next day.

"Oh Salty, Honestly!" laughed Emily, followed by the other engine's laughter. As Thomas and Emily worked together at the docks that day, they both felt a very powerful feeling within themselves. And after so much time, they had so many adventures together, many changes took place over the years. There were good times, bad times, wonderful times and magical times, and their dreams would come true much sooner than they thought.

* * *

It is done! Finished! Over! "Thomas and Emily's Relationship" has come to an end at last. This has by far been my most popular and well loved story ever, also the longest, I don't think any of my future stories will be this long, at least I hope not for now. I have been writing this story for nearly a year and a half and I want to thank everyone who has been supporting this story ever since it's beginning and it makes me so happy to see that so many people have loved this story so much and I'm sad to see it end.

With that said, writing this story hasn't been a complete joy, there were a lot of times when I wanted to pull my hair out when I was writing Chapters 10 and 12, but the positive reception from those chapters made all that hard work pay off. And if it wasn't for Jeremy helping me write this since Chapter 13 who knows how much longer that hiatus between Chps 12 and 13 could have gone. So without Jeremy, this story probably wouldn't have finished as soon as it did.

With that said, the next big project we're doing is LukexMillie, which I still don't have a name or plot ready for that story, but before that there is one short story coming up, known as "Such a Tease!" So look forward to that soon. Again I can't thank you guys for sticking around with this story for over a year, it's sad to see this go, but it's time to finally move on. I'll see you all with the next new story, until then please leave your reviews for this final chapter and your final thoughts of this story. Until next time, peace!


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